Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • Summer 2025 21 Distinguished Members DR. OLIVIA SUZANNE BOATMAN Dr. Olivia Suzanne Boatman was initiated as a National Arts Associate by the Epsilon Chi Chapter at Mississippi State University in April. Dr. Boatman currently serves as Assistant Professor of Flute at Mississippi State University, where she leads a multifaceted program that includes private instruction, chamber music coaching, woodwind and instrumental methods courses, and a graduate seminar in arts management. She is the director of the MSU Flute Choir and Chamber Trio, chairs the Department of Music's Recruiting Committee, and serves on the Robert Holland Faculty Senate. She is also Assistant Coordinator for the MSU Community Music School and holds committee positions in both the College of Education and the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) accreditation team. Previously, Dr. Boatman held appointments as Lecturer of Flute at Mississippi State University, Instructor of Flute at Grambling State University and Belhaven University, and Woodwind Instructor and Assistant Band Director at Hinds Community College. In each of these roles, she combined performance, pedagogy, recruitment, and leadership to cultivate excellence in her students and institutions. An active performer, Dr. Boatman has presented recitals and masterclasses across the United States and internationally, including the Dominican Republic, Germany, Austria, and the United Kingdom. Her recent solo and chamber performances include appearances at the National Flute Association Convention, the Music by Women Festival, and the Southern Chapter of the College Music Society. She serves as Principal Flute of the Starkville/MSU Symphony and performs with the Mississippi Wind Symphony and the Mississippi Baptist Symphony Orchestra. Beyond academia, Dr. Boatman contributes to the flute industry through her work with Flute Authority at West Music Company, where she has served as Sales Consultant and Educational Outreach Clinician, representing top-tier flute manufacturers and presenting workshops for flutists nationwide. DR. MICHAEL BRIDGE Dr. Michael Bridge was initiated as a National Arts Associate by the Oak Park Alumnae Chapter in April. Dr. Bridge is proficient in acoustic and digital accordion. He gives over ninety concerts annually as a soloist and has premiered over sixty new works. Together with Kornel Wolak, clarinet and piano player, he formed the comedic duo Bridge & Wolak. Their creative output ranges from Bach to Benny Goodman, and they have toured in all Canadian provinces and the majority of the United States. Most recently, they've created the Music Mentorship Program in collaboration with Queen's University—a six-week online course for high school students to explore career opportunities in the arts. Dr. Bridge also plays for Ladom Ensemble, a mini orchestra specializing in what they refer to as an "acoustic fusion of Western Classical, klezmer, rock, tango, jazz, East Coast traditional, and classical Persian" music. In 2023, he gave the Canadian premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina's landmark accordion concerto, Fachwerk. Dr. Bridge was the 2024 Canada Council Virginia Parker Prize winner, one of the highest honors given to young musicians. Dr. Bridge gives lectures and masterclasses in North American and European conservatories while also teaching music business courses at his alma mater, the University of Toronto. He is a tireless career mentor to young musicians and lectures internationally on topics related to the music business—including touring, production, negotiation, grants, finance, and cross-border activities for Canadians performing in the USA. Dr. Bridge earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Toronto under the guidance of Prof. Joseph Macerollo (the first Canadian to do so). His research and creative projects have been funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, the Women's Musical Club of Toronto, the Sylva Gelber Foundation, and Rebanks Family Fellowship and Massey College Fellowships. DR. DAKOTA CORBLISS Dr. Dakota Corbliss was initiated as a National Arts Associate by the Epsilon Theta Chapter at Appalachian State University in April. NATIONAL ARTS ASSOCIATE a person who is nationally recognized for distinguished contribution to the arts

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