Teri Forscher-Milter is a highly accomplished flutist, expressive performer and winner of 1994 Presidential Scholar in the Arts. A recipient of the first prize at the prestigious Arts Recognition and Talent Search Competition in Miami, Florida, Teri was subsequently named Presidential Scholar by the National Foundation for the Arts. She was honored by President Clinton for her playing in a ceremony held at the White House following her performance at the Kennedy Center for the Arts. The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts invited Teri to return to Washington D.C. to perform in concert as honored guest.
Teri is a captivating performer in solo, chamber and orchestral works and is equally known for her strong passion as an educator. Teri founded Duo de Vista with guitarist, Marina Alexandra and concertizes as a charismatic duo throughout the U.S. Teri studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Joshua Smith from 1994-1999 and during this time spent two summers at the Blossom Music Festival. She received the Maurice Sharp Flute Award at the Blossom Music Festival in 1996. In Cleveland, she founded the Juniper Wind Quintet and won prizes at Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. At the young age of nineteen, Teri was named second flutist and piccoloist for the American Sinfonietta and played with the orchestra for six years, including a European tour in 2001. In 1999, Teri was named principal flutist for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and toured as soloist with the orchestra in 2000. She has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Alabama Symphony, Charleston Symphony, Columbus Symphony and the South Carolina Philharmonic. She has played under the direction of Robert Shaw, Robert Spano, Leonard Slatkin, Louis Lane, Alan Gilbert, Michael Morgan, and Michael Palmer.
Forscher-Milter has had an extensive teaching and coaching career dating back over twenty years including faculty positions at University of South Carolina- Aiken, Newberry College, Maranatha College, Presbyterian College, and numerous other institutions and summer festivals in the US. Teri was Vice President of the South Carolina Flute Society and is an active member of the National Flute Association. Teri is also an active advocate in education for young musicians in the area of injury prevention in professional musicians.
In 2002, Teri was diagnosed with focal dystonia, a neurological condition affecting two fingers on her left hand. As this condition changed the course of her musical journey, Teri finds importance in sharing this story with others and particularly the triumph of her return to playing with her modified flute. She continues to play with eight functioning fingers.