Liisa Ruoho

Meerenai Shim

Liisa Ruoho

Liisa Ruoho is known throughout Europe as a consummate performer as well as a brilliant teacher. She presents concerts throughout Europe almost monthly, and is a regular teacher at several master classes in Greece, Iceland and Finland.

At the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, Liisa is a Flute Professor, Director of the Wind Department, and Vice-Director of the Orchestral Instruments Department. Her Academy students receive 2 hours of private lessons every week, as well as weekly Body Mapping, pedagogy and performance classes.

Formerly an assistant to Severino Gazzelloni in Italy, she studied with Gazzelloni and with Aurele Nicolet. Her personal study of the Alexander Technique revolutionized both her playing and teaching, and for over 40 years she has taught flutists how to use their original instrument - the body. She now presents workshops throughout Europe and is designing a joint Body Mapping course with the Sibelius Academy and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Meerenai Shim

Flutist Meerenai Shim is an active performer and teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area. She enjoys teaching many excellent private flute students at the Meerenai Shim Flute School in Sunnyvale and Mountain View.

Meerenai's book, Scale Studies for Beginner and Intermediate Flutists, was originally written for her private flute students. Since it was published in 2007, it has received praise from flute pedagogues worldwide. The Flute Network described her book as "…well-thought-out and handsomely produced…" in its July/August 2008 issue. Due to the success of her first book, Meerenai has officially launched Meerenai Shim Publishing in order to continue to publish educational books for musicians.

Meerenai stays busy with many chamber music performances as a founding member of the Blithe Duo and the Ibert Trio. She also presents frequent recitals in the Bay Area. During the 2007-2008 season, Meerenai performed the Reinecke Flute Concerto with the Saratoga Symphony.

Meerenai's flute teachers include Linda Lukas (San Francisco Symphony) and Mary Stolper (Grant Park Symphony). She has performed in master classes of Liisa Ruoho, Trevor Wye, Robert Stallman, Donald Peck and Michel Debost. She also studied orchestral conducting at the Aspen Music Festival and Eastern Music Festival. Her conducting teachers include Paul Vermel, Murry Sidlin, and Sheldon Morgenstern. Meerenai received a Bachelor of Music degree in Flute Performance from DePaul University in Chicago and a Master of Music degree in Flute Performance from San Francisco State University. She is training to become a certified Andover Educator in order to teach the Body Mapping course, What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body.