Rachel ciraldo,
Principal
Over the past two decades, Rachel Taratoot Ciraldo has built her flute career through various avenues, including orchestral playing, chamber music projects and performances, collaborations and commissions, education, and administrative responsibilities. Based in Hattiesburg, MS, since 2005, she is the Principal Flutist of the Baton Rouge Symphony and Meridian Symphony and the Second Flutist for the Gulf Coast Symphony. She is a founding member of Duo Cintemani (flute and guitar,) the Lagniappe Trio (flute, viola and harp,) and Á la Carte Trio (flute, French horn, and piano.) She is the co-creator of a chamber music collective based in Hattiesburg, MS, called Encompass, with a mission to promote all aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion in classical music. Over the past decade, she has created engaging chamber music programs for FestivalSouth’s music and children’s series, an annual cultural arts festival in Hattiesburg. She holds degrees from Indiana University and Boston University.