About me
Costa Rican-American flutist Gabriela Vargas is known for her versatility and beautiful tone, which allow her to excel in solo, orchestral, chamber music and studio settings.
For the last two decades Gaby has been an active performer in the Chicago area performing most frequently with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Philharmonic. She has appeared as guest principal flute to the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in South Korea under Jaap van Zweden and Edward Gardner as well as with the Joffrey Ballet, San Antonio Ballet and the Sinfónica de Minería in Mexico. Since relocating in Los Angeles, Gaby has performed with Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, Hollywood Scoring Orchestra and the McCallum Theater Orchestra. She has also performed with the Chicago Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Costa Rican National Symphony, Quad Cities Symphony, the Youth Orchestra of the Americas and Civic Orchestra of Chicago, under the direction of esteemed conductors such as Bernard Haitink, Sir Andrew Davis, Riccardo Muti, James Gaffigan, Pierre Boulez, Gustavo Dudamel, Edo de Waart and Carlos Miguel Prieto.
Her extensive chamber music experience includes performances with renowned classical and new music groups such as The Chicago Ensemble, Access Contemporary Music, International Contemporary Ensemble, and Fifth House Ensemble. She has also performed in ensembles of Brazilian Bossa Nova, Chôros and Venezuelan Folk Music.
Gaby has presented recitals at the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Series, Rush Hour Concerts, Harris Theater, Ganz Hall, Curtiss Hall, Candlelight Florianopolis, Foro de Compositores del Caribe, Seminario de Composición Musical, Ear Taxi Festival, Open House Chicago, WoCo Fest, Fresh Voices Festival, Martes por la Noche at Artes Musicales, Costa Rica as well as the Chamber Connexions CCX Series in San Antonio, TX.
At the age of 19, Gaby won the Young Artist Competition with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica, which led to her concerto debut. She also premiered Victoria Bond's Concerto for Flute and Wind Ensemble, "Pater Patriae: A Washington Portrait” which was released by Albany Records in the album "Soul of a Nation, "broadcast live on 98.7WFMT and aired on CAN TV. Vargas performed the Chicago premier of Michael Colgrass’ “Wild Riot of the Shaman’s Dreams” for solo flute and a co-commissioner of “The World Sonata Project”, she performed the American premier of “Songbird” for flute and piano by Stephanie Ann Boyd. Her live performances have encompassed Central, South and North America, as well as Europe and Asia.
Ms. Vargas pursued her musical education at the Universidad de Costa Rica (prof. Maria Luisa Meneses), and the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, where she was mentored by distinguished flutists Dionne Jackson, Donald Peck, and Mathieu Dufour. Additionally, she participated in a mentorship program under the guidance of Robert Langevin.
She is also a passionate advocate for integrating strength training and instrumental playing. Gaby recognizes the physical demands of both disciplines, including strength, endurance, and fine motor control. She believes that targeted strength training can enhance posture and stamina, as well as improve cognitive function, ultimately benefiting music performance.
TEACHING
A passionate educator, Gaby has more than 20 years of flute instruction experience. In Costa Rica she was teaching assistant at the School of Music, Universidad de Costa Rica and flute instructor at the Santa Barbara Music School in Heredia. In Chicago she was a founding instructor of the “El Sistema'' based Youth Orchestra programs by People’s Music School were she taught for over a decade and served as Program Coordinator to the Albany Park “satellite” site. Gaby served as Artist Faculty at the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras as chamber music coach and as flute coach for their CPS In-School partnership programs. She was also Flute Faculty for Fresh Inc Festival in 2021 and 2022. Currently Ms. Vargas is a founding board member of Horns for Hope, Inc., a charity that assists talented musicians to reach their full potential. She created a scholarship fund for Costa Rican students to receive private instruction from guest artists at the International Flute Festival in Costa Rica. Since relocating to Los Angeles, Gaby has been a co-commissioner to the California Conservatory Series which commissions new music each year as a 21st century version of the French Conservatory Contest Pieces tradition. The most recent commission includes the works Theory of F-L-U-Tion and Piccaresque! by Daniel Kelley.
Ms. Vargas has given masterclasses at Northern Illinois University, Florida State University, University of Texas at San Antonio, Western Illinois University, and outside of the US at the Universidad of Costa Rica, Universidad de Panamá, Orquesta Filarmónica Juvenil de Bogotá, Colombia, Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, Universidad Mayor in Chile, Escola de Música do Estado de São Paulo Tom Jobim in Brazil.