Betty Bang Mather

Betty Bang Mather (b. 1927) is an American flutist, musicologist, and music educator, professor emeritus at the University of Iowa, and internationally recognized expert in Baroque music and dance. She received a BMus degree from The Oberlin Conservatory Of Music and M.A. from Columbia Teachers College. William Kincaid, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Gaston Crunelle, and Gustav Scheck were among her flute teachers. During high school and college years, Betty played in the Oberlin College Conservatory Orchestra, Juilliard Summer Scholarship Orchestra, National Orchestral Association and a few other ensembles. From 1952 to 1996, Betty Mather taught flute at the University of Iowa – at the time UI was one of the first universities to hire a full-time flute professor. She participated in National Flute Association' activities since the first convention in 1974, served as a co-program chair for the second convention, and were elected twice on the board of directors. Mather became the 15th president of the Association and the first woman elected for this post. Throughout her career, Mather gave concerts, lectures, and workshops in the United States, France, Germany, England, Switzerland, China, Taiwan, and New Zealand. As a researcher, Betty specializes in expanding the flute repertoire, Baroque/Classical preludes and cadenzas, Baroque performance practices and dance, holistic approaches to learning and performance, and the poetic orations in Bach's flute music.