Jill Heyboer

About Jill

Jill Heyboer has been the principal flutist in the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and Professor of Music (Flute) at Missouri State University since 2000. She has also been on the flute faculty at the Interlochen Arts Camp in Interlochen, Michigan for as many summers. After growing up in Normal, Illinois, she pursued music degrees at Luther College, Arizona State University, and Michigan State University. Prior to her appointments in Springfield, she was a member of the Boise Philharmonic Orchestra, the Greater Lansing Symphony Orchestra and the West Shore Symphony (Muskegon, Michigan).

An active performer, Heyboer has appeared as a soloist with the MSU Symphony Orchestra, the Washburn University Symphony Orchestra, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the Interlochen Festival Orchestra, and the MSU Wind Ensemble. She has been a semi-finalist in the National Flute Association’s (NFA)Young Artist Piccolo Competition, the Myrna Brown National Flute Competition, and a two-time winner of the NFA Performer's Competition. Heyboer is also a member of a variety of chamber music ensembles in collaboration with numerous music colleagues throughout the country, and has performed with these ensembles throughout the U.S. and the world. Most recent tours include performances in the Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, Colombia, and Spain.

An advocate of contemporary flute music, Heyboer has premiered several new pieces by living American composers. Some of these composers include John Prescott, Robert Mueller, Robert Brownlow, Zae Munn, and Alexis Bacon. As a recording artist, Dr. Heyboer has recorded pieces by Villa Lobos on the Naxos label, Richard Faith on MSR Classics and Zae Munn on Navona Records. She also has a solo flute CD of flute music by American composers including music by Brownlow, Mueller, Amram, Dick, and Persichetti, soon to be released on the MSR label.

I believe that all flutists must have control of all aspects of flute playing in order to reach a professional level of playing. This includes the basics of tone, articulation, technique and flexibility, in order to reach their highest musical and expressive capacity as musicians. I am also a fan of life-long learning!