Music and Musicians

Musician Biography

Nora Kile

Nora Setliffe Kile, a Chattanooga native (Tyner High School class of 1967), earned her B.Mus. and M.Mus. degrees in flute performance from the College-Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati, where she studied with George Hambrecht who was principal flute of the Cincinnati Symphony. She also did additional conducting study with former CSO conductor Vakhtang Jordania. While in Ohio she played piccolo with the Middletown (Ohio) Symphony and principal flute with the Cincinnati Pro Musica Orchestra. From 1972 until 1974, she sang with the Chattanooga Opera Chorus before being asked to sub in the Chattanooga Opera Orchestra. She began playing with the Chattanooga Symphony in 1975 as a sub and has held the position of second-chair flute since the merger in 1983 of the two orchestras. She is also the flutist with the New Art Trio (www.newarttrio.net). A member of the UTC faculty since 1974, she is currently head of the flute faculty at the Cadek Conservatory of Music, and is on the adjunct faculty of Bryan College and Southern Adventist University.

She is a nationally recognized expert on flute choirs and has conducted flute choir workshops in Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Texas, Minnesota, and North Carolina. An active member of the National Flute Association, she served as the Exhibitor’s Showcase/Exhibitor’s Concert Coordinator from 2004-2008, and has served on panels for flute choir organization and arranging. She was a member of the 1989 NFA Professional Flute Choir, coordinated the flute choir reading sessions at the 1997 convention after conducting one at the 1995 convention, and was the conductor of the 1999 NFA Professional Flute Choir. She is a charter member of the National Flute Choir, which has recorded ten flute choir CD’s to date.

She has assisted with the flute ensembles classes at the Wildacres Flute Retreat in North Carolina for over 20 years, and has 18 flute choir arrangements published by ALRY Publications, Falls House Press, Little Piper and BRS Music, Inc., as well as several arrangements for chamber trio and flute with band/orchestra accompaniment.

In her “spare time” she enjoys cycling, boating, and scuba diving with her husband Bill, to whom she has been married since 1973, and playing the harp, her musical “mid-life crisis”. They have also been adopted by their four cats.

Meet the Musician

CSO Member since: 1978 as sub, 1983 as 2nd flute

Why did you choose your instrument?
I don’t remember-think it was because it seemed logical to go to “flute” from “flutophone”

Where did you go to school? Who did you study with?
High School-Tyner (I’m home grown!); BM & MM in Flute Performance, Cincinnati College Conservatory; Studied with George Hombreht (principal with Cincinnati Symphony at the time)

Do you have a day job? What is it?
Teach at UTC, SAU, Cadek Conservatory

What are your hobbies?
Boating, scuba, bicycling, hiking

Do you have a family? Pets?
We are “owned” by 4 cats

Who is your favorite composer? Piece?
Piece-Smetana’s Moldau
Composer-Beethoven, Copeland, Mahler-too many to choose!