Aspire2STEAM.org, which provides educational scholarships and mentoring to young women and girls who are working toward careers that require education in science, tech, engineering, the arts, or math (STEAM), has awarded Marta Plominska an ASPIRER scholarship.
Marta is currently a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Flute Performance at UNLV, having just completed her Doctorate in Flute Performance, also at UNLV. “Marta is an incredibly gifted musician with a long list of honors and awards from competitions in the U.S. and abroad,” said Cheryl O’Donoghue, CEO at Aspire2STEAM.org. “Her work to inspire young musicians, as well as bring works from female composers to life on stages around the world gains an enthusiastic standing ovation from Aspire2STEAM!”
Originally from Poland, Marta has been seriously studying flute since the age of 10. She has been actively participating in music in the Las Vegas area since she moved there in 2017 and teaches Flute Ensemble, Flute Applied lessons and Music Appreciation at UNLV part time. She adjudicates many live events in Las Vegas, such as the Nevada Music Educators Association Solo and Ensemble Competition, Silver State Competition, and Honors Band auditions. Said Marta, “I am always sharing my knowledge with young musicians, encouraging them to set their goals higher and higher every day.”
Since 2018, Marta has served as Vice President for the Las Vegas Flute Club, which provides the Las Vegas area with many resources including masterclasses, private lessons, concerts, and many other events throughout the year. Marta’s personal goal is to give back to the community as much as possible, with a special focus on youth.
Another important goal for Marta is to prepare for competitions to help build her own skill and artistry, and to encourage others to do the same. She has won first-place awards at several events, including the Grand Prize Virtuoso Brussels International Competition, Flute Society of Kentucky Young Artist Competition, Oklahoma Flute Society Collegiate Competition, IMKA International Music Competition, Great Composers Competition—Masters of Wind Sonata, and International Music Competition Barletta in Italy. Additionally, she was among the top award recipients at the Arizona Flute Society, Georgia Philharmonic Competition in Atlanta, and Emuse Music Competition in Greece.
Marta has played at summer music festivals in the USA, Poland, Germany, Hungary, and Italy and worked in masterclasses with well-known flutists including Demare McGill, Robert Dick, Pierre Yves Artaud, and Jasmine Choi, among others. She also collaborated with many orchestras including Krakow Opera, Springer Opera House, Nevada Chamber Orchestra, Pan-European Philharmonia, PassionArt Orchestra, and the Polish Youth Symphony Orchestra.
In addition to her performance and teaching career, Marta is an avid researcher. While working on her doctoral research, Eastern European Communism and Wind Music, she was selected by the International Society for Research and Promotion of Wind Music (IGEB) in Graz, Austria, to write a scholarly article for its upcoming Oxford publication project The Wind Music Companion.
Marta also takes an active role in the Women’s Composers Concert Series, performing music by female composers in large venues throughout Nevada. “I am very proud to be part of a project that shares female composers’ music and is performed by women musicians,” said Marta. “I am passionate about what I do and I truly believe that women’s representation in music is incredibly valued.”
After completing her Fellowship, Marta’s goal is to secure a tenured teaching position at the university level and teach flute performance to younger generations. She also values lifelong learning and plans to continue her professional development in creative and scholarly activities.