Why Is This Retreat Special?
In 2024, flute friends Valerie and Toni had a vision to create a vacation retreat getaway alongside an immersive flute experience for adults. The result was a week at a San Diego beach bungalow where flutists became friends over shared meals, conversation and collaborative musical experiences.
As we reflect on our last three years of retreats and craft our 2027 experience, we invite you to explore our photo and video highlights, follow our SDFR on Instagram and connect with us to learn more.
See you in June 2027!
Previous Featured Guest Artist
2026: Jessica Petrasek
Jessica Petrasek lives in Atlanta, where she is Lecturer in Flute at Georgia State University. She prides herself in producing well-rounded, collegial students who can independently diagnose and solve problems. Jessica’s pedagogical ethos came primarily from her teacher growing up, Tal Perkes, who was Principal Flute of the San Antonio Symphony. Lessons with Tal often included discussions about literature, architecture, language, and painting. Under Tal's tutelage, Jessica was on NPR's "From the Top," became a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, was a Miyazawa Flutes Emerging Artist, and won the National Foundation of the Advancement of the Arts YoungARTS Silver Award. Tal helped Jessica achieve many other opportunities, such as a solo performance at the Kennedy Center and a fellowship at the Tanglewood Music Center at age 18.
Tal's interdisciplinary approach helped lead Jessica to major in Classics at Princeton, where she did things like translate the Odyssey, the Aeneid, and Daphnis and Chloe, while obtaining a Certificate in Music Performance, studying under the wonderful Jayn Rosenfeld. At Princeton, Jessica was awarded the honor of University Scholar (for students pursuing a career in the arts) and the Isidore and Helen Sacks Memorial Prize in Music.
Jessica went on to receive her Master of Music from Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, studying with the legendary Leone Buyse. After Rice, she got her first job as Principal Flute of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra and won Third Prize and “Best Performance of a Newly Commissioned Work” in the National Flute Association Young Artist Competition.
Since then, Jessica has performed all over the world in solo, chamber, and orchestra concerts. She especially enjoys her chamber opportunities, which allow her to connect with colleagues on a more musically intimate level. She is a founding member of Hera Trio with Lara Dahl (oboe) and Miya Sun (piano). Jessica is a member of the EPIC Woodwind Quintet and Classical Remix Chamber Festival, and is one half of the Petrasek Duo with her husband, Joe Petrasek, Principal Percussionist of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
Jessica has been a finalist in many ICSOM orchestra auditions, and enjoys sharing her audition expertise with her students. She has developed a unique approach to auditions, which utilizes a blend of practice planning and prep, mental and physical strategies, and sports psychology techniques to help flutists maximize their audition potential.
Jessica is currently Assistant Principal Flute of the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder and Piccolo of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra in Georgia. She has held the positions of Principal Flute of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Piccolo of the Kansas City Symphony, Assistant Principal Flute of the Central City Opera Orchestra, and Piccolo and 2nd Flute of the Sarasota Opera Orchestra.
Jessica has a young daughter who shares her parents' love of music, food, and animals. Jessica and her daughter can often be found at the barn caring for and riding their horse, Rav.
2025: Dr. Chelsea Tanner
Dr. Chelsea Tanner maintains an active career as a performer, teacher, and mindset coach for musicians. She is currently a Flute Faculty member at the Colburn Community School in Los Angeles. Most recently she was head of the flute platform at tonebase.co, where she built and curated the largest library and online learning community of flutists.
Previously, Chelsea served on the faculties of SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music and Penn State University. In the spring of 2020, she earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin. From 2016 to 2019, she held the position of Second Flute in the Central Texas Philharmonic. Within the flute community, Chelsea is Chair of the National Flute Association’s Career and Artistic Development Committee.
As an online educator, Chelsea has produced over 100 lessons for the tonebase Flute platform, collaborating with world-renowned artists such as Jasmine Choi, Marina Piccinini, and Paula Robison, among others. She has also created and taught numerous livestream classes for tonebase. As a mindset coach, Chelsea has spoken at over 30 institutions and studios on topics such as performance anxiety, mindset, and imposter syndrome, aiming to empower young musicians in their careers. She is the host of Align Your Mind, a weekly podcast dedicated to helping musicians navigate the mental and emotional challenges of a career in music.
Chelsea has actively participated in competitions across the country. She has been a finalist in the Flute Society of Greater Philadelphia Young Artist Competition, the Mid-Atlantic Flute Society Young Artist Competition, and the National Society of Arts and Letters National Woodwind Competition, as well as a quarterfinalist in the National Flute Association Young Artist Competition. She has also won the Central Ohio Flute Association Collegiate Competition and the Women in Music Scholarship Auditions.
Chelsea completed her Artist Diploma at The University of Texas at Austin, studying with Marianne Gedigian. She earned her Master of Music degree from Carnegie Mellon University, studying with Jeanne Baxtresser, and her Bachelor of Music degree from The Ohio State University, studying with Katherine Borst Jones.
An active chamber musician, Chelsea is a member of the Emissary Quartet, a long-distance flute ensemble dedicated to expanding the flute quartet repertoire. (www.emissaryquartet.com)
2024: Dr. Brittany Trotter
Prize-winning flutist Dr. Brittany Trotter leads a diverse career as an educator, soloist, and collaborator. She is the Assistant Professor in Flute and Woodwind Program Director at the University of the Pacific’s Conservatory of Music in Stockton, CA.
Trotter regularly performs, teaches, and serves as a guest lecturer throughout the United States. She has been awarded first prize in numerous national and regional competitions including the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Competition in woodwinds in the states of West Virginia (2017, 2016), Wyoming (2015, 2014), and Mississippi (2009). She has also competed as a semi-finalist in the 2017 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Since moving to California in 2021, Trotter has performed as a substitute with most of the central valley regional orchestras such as the Stockton Symphony Orchestra, Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, Modesto Symphony Orchestra, and the San Francisco Contemporary Players.
Recipient of the NFA’s 2020 Graduate Research Competition for her dissertation entitled, Examining Music Hybridity and Cultural Influences in Valerie Coleman’s Wish Sonatine and Fanmi Imen, Trotter continues to actively study the merging of western classical music, diverse culture, and modern popular music.
A native from Laurel, Mississippi, Dr. Trotter has received degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi (B.M., B.M.E.), University of Wyoming (M.M.), and West Virginia University (D.M.A., Certificate of University Teaching).
www.brittanytrotterflute.com | Instagram: @brittanyflute | YouTube: @brittanytrotterflute
