Sunderman Conservatory of Music

Dr. Sarah Eckman McIver is an adjunct assistant professor at the Sunderman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College where she teaches flute, is a resident artist member of the Sunderman Wind Quintet, and coaches chamber music.

McIver also performs and teaches in the Baltimore/Washington region on flute, piccolo and baroque flute. She has appeared as a substitute with Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Annapolis Symphony, Washington National Cathedral Choral Society and the Concert Artists of Baltimore. Regular engagements include third flute/piccolo with the Apollo Orchestra, second flute/piccolo with American Pops Orchestra, principal flute with Opera Camerata of Washington, and principal flute of Maryland Winds. As a chamber musician, McIver can be heard on flute and piccolo with Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra and on traverso with Washington’s Camerata Early Music Ensemble.

For twelve years, McIver toured nationally with The U.S. Army Field Band giving over 100 concerts per year. She was featured as a concerto soloist on five concert tours. In addition, she was a frequent clinician and performer with the Woodwind Ambassadors Quintet, performing in over a dozen states and territories ranging from Alaska to Puerto Rico. She left active duty in 2015 to diversify her performing and teaching career, and continues to serve in the Maryland National Guard as First Sergeant of 229th Army Band.

McIver began her flute studies at Interlochen Arts Academy, studying with Tyra Gilb. She earned a Bachelor of Music Performance from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where she developed an appreciation for historical performances and a fascination with contemporary works. While pursuing a Master of Music degree at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, she wrote a thesis on electro-acoustic music for flute and computers and at the same time began studying baroque flute. Private studies continued at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada, and at summer workshops in Poland and France through IRCAM. She attained her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a dissertation focus on selected works by flutist-composers from 1852-2005. Her primary flute teachers were Timothy Hutchins, Peter Lloyd, and Dr. William Montgomery. She has also worked extensively with Dr. Lisa Cella, Aaron Goldman, Wissam Boustany, Lisa Besnosiuk, Patricia Morris, and Joanne Boddington.

McIver can be heard on a wide variety of recordings. Most recently, she recorded Righty, 1966 by Libby Larsen, with soprano Laura Strickling and pianist Joy Schreier. She is featured on two albums of works by Lawrence Moss: Grand is the Seen (2014) with soprano Danielle Talamantes; Gamelan (2013) for flute and percussion with Dr. Lee Hinkle; Dreams by Day and Night (2014) for flute, soprano, percussion and piano; Inside, Outside: 4 Haiku for our Time (2016) for flute and soprano: and Flutepaths (2011) for flute and electronics. She is featured on the most recent Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra recordings and video releases: Stage and Screen Spectacular (2020), Jazzin' the Blues Away (2019), Elite Syncopations (2017). Recordings on traverso with Washington's Camerata Early Music Ensemble include Trios, No. 1-6, Op. 83 by James Hook (2012) and an upcoming project featuring the duets of J.J. Quantz. Numerous concert and educational products were recorded during her time with The U.S. Army Field Band, most notably Flute Fundamentals, a comprehensive video covering all aspects of flute instruction and performance.

McIver is current Secretary, immediate-past VP on the Board of Directors for the Flute Society of Washington, and a member of the National Flute Association. Currently teaching remotely from her private studio, she has numerous adult amateur and school-age students. Previous teaching engagements include guest clinician for DC Different Drummers, Nassau Music Educators Association, MMEA All-State Festival, chamber coach for Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra, private study at The Park School of Baltimore, numerous educational outreach classes through The U.S. Army Field Band, and mentoring and teaching while a doctoral student at the University of Maryland.