Flutist Kassey LeBow Plaha has a varied and accomplished career as a soloist, chamber musician and pedagogue. Committed to innovation and new music, Mrs. Plaha is a founder of award winning and nationally acclaimed Areon Flutes Inc, and has premiered over 200 works by living composers for various chamber music combinations and as a soloist.
Areon Flutes is a bronze medal winner of the prestigious Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, are Miyazawa Artists and has performed at several National Flute Association Conventions and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall to rave reviews. In addition to engaging performances, Kassey has also toured across the US to major Universities, Conservatories, Flute Festivals and New Music Festivals as a guest artist with Areon.
As a soloist, she has won several national competitions, concerto competitions and appeared in numerous masterclasses with the worlds top flutists of both solo and orchestral worlds. Kassey's talent was recognized early, being awarded a full college scholarship at the age of 13 as a promising young talent to New Mexico State University. Mrs. Plaha holds a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance from University of New Mexico and a Master of Music in Flute Performance from University of California, Santa Barbara.
With over 21 years of teaching experience in the private and collegiate realms, Mrs. Plaha's students have won numerous awards though out the years on national, western regional, and multiple state platforms in solo and chamber music performance as well as hold principal flute and piccolo positions in California Youth Symphony and San Jose Youth Symphony in the Bay Area. She currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family, maintains a full private flute studio, and is artist in residence for numerous nationally ranked band programs.