Catherine Zolkos

BIO

Catherine Zolkos is an accomplished flutist, pianist, vocalist, and educator based in the Boston area. She holds a Flute Performance Diploma (2025) and a Master of Music in Flute Performance (2023) from Boston University, as well as a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Flute Performance from Wayne State University (2021).

An award-winning performer, Catherine won the prestigious Boston University Carnegie Hall Competition, earning her solo flute debut at Carnegie Hall. She was also winner of the 2019 Wayne State Concerto Competition and a finalist in both the 44th and 45th James Pappoutsakis Memorial Flute Competitions, receiving the second-place William H. Grass Award in 2025. Additionally, as a member of the wind quintet The Quintuplets, she advanced to the finals of the Boston University Chamber Competition.

Catherine maintains an active and versatile freelance career that balances performing as a flutist and as a vocalist and pianist. She has performed on flute with ensembles including the Du Bois Orchestra, the Boston Chamber Symphony, and the Star of the Sea Orchestra, and has spent summers performing with the Ohio Light Opera and the Plymouth Notch Summer Orchestra. Her international performance experience includes appearances with the Wayne State Camerata in Italy and the International Symphony Orchestra in Sarnia, Canada. As a chamber musician, she has collaborated with artists from the Detroit Opera House and Ohio Light Opera and has appeared as a featured soloist with orchestras in both Detroit and Italy. Catherine is also the Music Director at the Catholic Center at Boston University, where she enjoys playing piano and singing, along with dabbling on the organ.

In addition to her performing career, Catherine is a dedicated educator with nearly eight years of teaching experience. She has held teaching positions at Boston University, Expressions Music Academy, Merry Melody Music Academy, and Go Go Allegro School of Music

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

I believe that a strong foundation in music theory is essential to becoming a confident and expressive musician. Understanding how music works — through theory, technique, scales, chords, and technical exercises — gives students the tools they need to approach their instrument with greater ease, accuracy, and creativity. Rather than simply memorizing notes or songs, students develop a deeper understanding of the patterns and structures that shape the music they play.

One of the most rewarding parts of teaching is guiding students as they begin to connect these concepts to their repertoire. I enjoy helping students recognize chord progressions, scales, and musical patterns within their pieces, because those moments of recognition often lead to major breakthroughs in confidence and musical fluency. Watching a student reach the point where “everything clicks” and they begin to play with greater understanding and independence is incredibly fulfilling.