Flutist
April Clayton is internationally recognized as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, and pedagogue. She has performed and taught in Vienna, Leipzig, Zurich, Edinburgh, London, Birmingham, Aberystwyth, Granada, Riva del Garda, Varna, Moscow, Vancouver, Barbados, Haiti, Bahia, and throughout South Korea, Mexico, and the United States. Dr. Clayton has performed and taught extensively in Paris alongside members of the faculty at the Paris Conservatory, Ecole Normale de Musique, Schola Cantorum, and others.
Accolades for Dr. Clayton’s solo performances from the New York Concert Review, Fanfare, American Record Guide, and Flute Talk magazine describe her playing using such terms as “stunning,” “dazzling,” “impeccable,” “[played] with total conviction,” “outstanding,” “thoroughly polished,” “beguiling,” “superb,” “elegant,” and “delectable.” Having performed at numerous National Flute Association conventions, she was featured in recital by the NFA for the culminating “Saturday Headliners Concert” in 2019. She began a now-internationally-known YouTube channel, “April Clayton – Flute Tube” in 2020, as a response to COVID shutdowns. She has performed with numerous chamber and orchestral ensembles, including the Orpheus Wind Quintet, Hat Trick flute-viola-harp trio, the New York Woodwind Quintet, Utah Symphony and Utah Opera, Ballet West, Utah Chamber Artists, New York Lyric Orchestra, and others.
April Clayton was the Professor of Flute at Brigham Young University for 22 years. She has also been Woodwind Studies Chair and Artistic Director at the Gifted Music School in Salt Lake City. She was the recipient of a coveted Brigham Young University Young Faculty Award, becoming only the second music faculty member to receive this honor in its decades-long history. Dr. Clayton is a Burkart Flutes Artist.
At The Juilliard School, Dr. Clayton was a Starr Doctoral Fellow and the youngest student to have been admitted to their doctoral program. Dr. Clayton’s students have laid claim to many honors, awards, and professional positions, including First Place awards in the National Flute Association Young Artist, High School Soloist, Piccolo Artist, and Orchestral Audition competitions. They have been accepted into top undergraduate and graduate music programs, including those at Juilliard, Colburn, the Royal Conservatory of Music, and many others. Additionally, they have continued on to professional positions as music professors, orchestral musicians, music industry composers, and more.
