TMA149 Members

Described by the Toronto NOW Magazine as a “rising star,” Mexican-born flutist Alhelí Pimienta has performed and taught in over 30 countries. Her latest virtual project, “Yo Quiero Equal Opportunity,” will present newly commissioned solo flute works by underrepresented live composers of diverse backgrounds and styles such as Juro Kim Feliz (Philipines), Icli Zitella (Venezuela), Daniel Cueto (Perú), and will be released in the Summer of 2023. Alhelí has presented lectures, conferences and masterclasses at the University of Toronto, University of Nebraska in Omaha, University of California Berkeley, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music, the National Library of Catalonia in Barcelona, Lionel Hampton School of Music, The American Cathedral in Paris, amongst many others.

Alheli has curated concert series and festivals in America, advocating for classical music diversity from an educational perspective, with her lecture titled “It’s Time to Talk About Classical Music’s Diversity Problem.” Some of these cultural events include the Toronto Latin American Flute Festival, the International Flute and Piccolo Convention of Monterrey, and the two international Canadian Flute Association Conventions.

Miss Pimienta is a passionate advocate for diversity and social justice in music, and she serves as a spokesperson and panel moderator for international conferences and non-profit organizations such as the Diaz-del Moral Foundation, the Canadian Flute Association, the University of Toronto, and most recently, Global Toronto in Canada. She has a young live streaming project called “Pa’EducArte” (To Educate You), where every Tuesday night, she interviews composers and musicians of colour and presents controversial topics about discrimination in the music industry to the general audience.

Mrs. Pimienta is also a passionate flute teacher and founder of Flute Sprint International Studio, where she teaches 25 talented flutists from beginner to professional levels. Since 12 years ago, Alhelí’s students have won annual awards in national and international festivals around the world, and many already enjoy fruitful teaching and performing careers. Her students RCM levels 10 and above participate in Flute Sprint’s professional development program, where together, they build cultural bridges worldwide to expose young flutists and piccolo players of colour to new career paths under the ethos of Equal Opportunity.

Alhelí earned a partial Instrumental Performance degree from the Escuela Superior de Música y Danza de Monterrey, a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Flute Performance with a Jazz Minor from the University of Idaho, an Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School of Music, and has completed four years of Doctoral Studies at the University of Toronto, all under full scholarships. She is a proud International Yamaha Artist and performs on an 18K handmade gold flute. She lives in Toronto with her husband, Adrian Kostic and her two dogs, Samba and Tango, and lives with the ethos of attending at least one live music concert per week.