Alexandria Hoffman is a freelance flutist and mental health advocate based in Chicago, IL. Hailed for her “warmth and vitality,” she has performed with the Chicago Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra, and has appeared as a soloist with Yo-Yo Ma.
Alex was previously acting Associate Principal Flute in the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and has held fellowship positions at the New World Symphony (2021-24) and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago (2018-21). She has performed under the batons of Klaus Mäkelä, Riccardo Muti, and Michael Tilson Thomas.
Passionate about mental health, Alex is co-founder and Executive Director of Sound Mind, an organization that seeks to cultivate wellness in the classical music world. Sound Mind has presented workshops all across the country for organizations such as the National Orchestral Institute, People’s Music School, and the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative. As Executive Director, she has developed a series of workshops, a podcast, a blog, and much more in support of the organization’s mission. She was previously the Education Coordinator for NAMI Metro Suburban in Oak Park, IL, and has raised over $2000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention through her advocacy as part of the Chicago Marathon. She has spoken on a number of panels about her mental health journey and continues to share her story with others in hopes to end the stigma of mental illness.
As a soloist, Alex has appeared with Yo-Yo Ma in collaboration with his Bach Project in Chicago, where she performed on a flute made out of a rifle created by Pedro Reyes as part of his “Palas for Pistolas” project. She also performed with Yo-Yo Ma on Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 on Chicago’s Riverwalk. In 2017, she performed Vivaldi’s Piccolo Concerto with the Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra in Door County, WI. In its Chicago premiere, Alex appeared alongside Claire Chase and the International Contemporary Ensemble to perform Salvatore Sciarrino’s Cutting the Circle of Sounds.
An accomplished piccolo player, Alex previously won first prize in the National Flute Association’s Piccolo Audition and Masterclass Competition. She has performed in piccolo masterclasses for Jennifer Gunn, Cynthia Meyers, and Alyce Johnson, and flute masterclasses for Mathieu Dufour, Robert Langevin, and Marina Piccinini. In previous summers, Alex has attended the Peninsula Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute, and Centre d’Arts Orford. Other performance highlights include concerts with noted jazz musicians Victor Goines and Branford Marsalis.
Alex holds a Master’s Degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Bachelor’s Degree in Flute Performance and Music Education from Northwestern University, where she was a Presser Scholar and graduated magna cum laude. Her primary teachers include Mary Kay Fink, John Thorne, and Lauren Moldenhauer. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, video games, and playing with her dog, Barry.