Jessica Chancey joined The Louisville Orchestra’s flute section as piccoloist in 2023. She holds a bachelor of music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Mary Kay Fink, principal piccolo of The Cleveland Orchestra. Jessica has also studied with Colleen Blagov and Sandra del-Cid Davies. Before coming to Louisville, Jessica Chancey was a member of the Canton Symphony Orchestra. She has performed with The Cleveland Orchestra, The Blossom Festival Band, and the Lexington Philharmonic. An avid chamber musician, Jessica won the bronze medal at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2019 with Cleveland-based wind quintet, Catharsis Winds. Ms. Chancey is the recently appointed flute and piccolo teacher at University of Louisville’s School of Music. She plays a Powell piccolo and an Emanuel flute. In her free time, you’ll find her climbing out in Red River Gorge.

 

What do you enjoy most about performing with the Louisville Orchestra?

My absolutely lovely colleagues. I look forward to seeing them every week as much as I look forward to playing our repertoire.

In what ways do you think the Louisville Orchestra can make the greatest impact on our community?

Our Louisville Orchestra's In Harmony tour makes a huge impact. We bring communities a sense of unity and camaraderie across Kentucky and foster a renewed appreciation for orchestral music.

What is your favorite type of orchestral music to perform, and why?  

Chamber music! Life encompasses happiness and sadness, harmony and struggles, ease and resistance—and to me, all of these are even more prominent in chamber music than orchestral. Sometimes it’s a shared journey of inspiration with compatible partners, and other times, a difficult reminder of how human dynamics can fall apart. There's a real emotional, human closeness in chamber music and why I'm so fond of it.

Who is your favorite composer or musician?

Chris Thile

Do you have a Louisville Orchestra or event that is especially meaningful or memorable?

My first performance with the Louisville Orchestra just so happened to be going on tour with Chris Thile. We premiered his piece Attention! and I fell in love with the song he sang as an encore; Blue Moon of Kentucky. It was so beautiful and affirming for me as I began my life in Louisville.

What’s something unique, surprising, fun, or interesting about you?  

I have 3 cats: Ramona, Butters, and Blue.

What are some of your hobbies outside the LO?

Rock climbing and hiking!

How do you stay connected with the community outside of your performances?  

My wind quintet and I perform music and narrate to the book "To Give a Mouse a Cookie" as a part of our Once Upon An Orchestra program where we play for children throughout the community!

Favorite orchestral work?

Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring

What's on your playlist (what song are you currently into)?

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift your Skinny Fists like Antennas to Heaven