Colorado Symphony Blog

Long before she became Principal Flute of the Colorado Symphony, Brook Ferguson was surrounded by music growing up in Manassas, Virginia. Family jam sessions filled the house with bluegrass, and car rides often turned into joyful singalongs with her mom and sisters. Looking back, she now realizes those informal moments played a big role in shaping both her ears and her love of making music.

It was also understood in that environment whether a musician could really play or not. Practicing to reach a high standard never had to be spoken because it was implied, and it became a source of pride for her and her family.

Her path to the flute came from an unexpected place. Rather than discovering it through classical music, Brook fell in love with the instrument’s unmistakable sound in 1970s rock recordings, songs like “Color My World”, and even Saturday morning cartoons. Its bright, lyrical voice captivated her, and she loved that it offered something entirely different from the music everyone else in her family was playing.

That sense of curiosity has guided a career that has earned national acclaim. Described by The Washington Post as “brilliantly virtuosic,” Brook won the National Flute Association’s Young Artist Competition before going on to perform as a concerto soloist with the Colorado Symphony, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, ROCO, and the New World Symphony. She has appeared at leading festivals including Aspen, Tanglewood, and Marlboro, and is widely recognized for championing new music, helping premiere dozens of works by composers from around the world.

Brook joined the Colorado Symphony as Principal Flute in 2010 and has served in the same role with Houston’s innovative River Oaks Chamber Orchestra since 2012. Whether performing Mozart, Nielsen, a world premiere, or an orchestral masterwork, she brings the same spirit of exploration to every performance.

Offstage, Brook’s playlist is just as adventurous as her performing career. She doesn’t believe in musical boundaries, happily moving from Motown and 90s hip-hop to jazz, rock, grunge, and North Indian classical music. For Brook, great music is simply great music, regardless of genre.

Quick Takes

Favorite composer:

Claude Debussy. His music lives in that magical space between structure and improvisation, and I’m always drawn to how he absorbed influences like Indonesian music and transformed what the flute could be. As a flutist, I don’t think there’s a richer palette of colors to explore. At the same time, there’s such clarity in his writing that I find irresistible. Every time I return to his music, I notice something new — it never gets old.

A piece you’ll never get tired of playing:

Debussy’s Sonate pour flûte, alto et harpe (L. 137). It feels like a conversation that’s always evolving — no two performances are ever quite the same. There’s something so special about how it sounds spontaneous while still being so perfectly crafted. I’m especially excited to perform it with violist Phillip Stevens and harpist Courtney Hershey Bress on April 11, 2027, as part of the Colorado Symphony’s Chamber Music Series at the Studio Loft at the Ellie Caulkins Theatre.

Currently listening to:

A little bit of everything. My playlists jump from avant-garde contemporary music to Gen Z artists, 90s hip hop, Motown, R&B, rock, jazz — and Opie Gone Bad, whose front man is my partner Jake Schroeder (I love his voice). I also spend a lot of time listening to master tabla players from North Indian classical music — the rhythmic language is endlessly fascinating and always seems to reset my ears. Most days, I’m listening to whatever I’m studying or whatever happens to spark my curiosity.

Hidden talent:

Curiosity might be my hidden talent. I love falling down research rabbit holes — whether it’s a forgotten Baroque opera, World War II history, governance, neuroscience, or flute acoustics. I genuinely enjoy connecting dots that others might not notice. I’m also pretty tenacious when it comes to improving social inclusion and gender parity in our field—there’s still a lot of work to do. And I love fixing things. I maintain my own flutes and have studied with incredible acousticians and repair specialists because I’m fascinated not just by how things work, but why they work.

Favorite Colorado spot:

Home. We live in Golden, right where the foothills begin, and I never take for granted how beautiful it is. Whether I’m in the garden, by our pond, having coffee on the patio, or heading out for a hike, it’s where I feel most like myself. I also love the soundtrack of our neighborhood — train whistles from the Colorado Railroad Museum, Coors trains rolling by in the distance, and live music drifting over from New Terrain Brewing. Those sounds make life here feel uniquely ours and remind me every day why Colorado is such a special place to call home.