Ben Carlee

Dr. Ben Carlee is a Chicano flutist, educator, and arts administrator from San Antonio, Texas, whose passion for music began with the chiptunes of NES games, then the colorful 16-bit melodies of the Super Nintendo, and later the sweeping, orchestrated worlds of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the N64. With limited access to classical concerts growing up, he found inspiration in these soundtracks, leading to performances with the Video Games Live tour and the founding of the Madison Gamer Symphony Orchestra, which was recognized as a prizewinner in the 2024 UW–Madison Arts Business Competition.

Dr. Carlee is a sought-after performer, clinician, and adjudicator, having appeared at major national events including the Wisconsin Flute Festival, Chicago Flute Festival, Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention, National Flute Association Convention, and the North American Conference on Video Game Music.

At the 2024 National Flute Association Convention, Dr. Carlee commissioned and premiered Sones para Flauta y Mariachi by Dr. Jorge Sosa—the first concerto ever written for flute and mariachi—performing alongside the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Mariachi Los Paisanos. His forthcoming album, Ni de aquí, Ni de allá: Flute Music by Mexican and Chican@ Composers, is set for release later this year on Centaur Records. Additionally, at the North American Conference on Video Game Music in 2024 and 2025, Dr. Carlee debuted two world premieres by Dr. Thomas Yee: Rhapsody on Eight Themes from Octopath Traveler for flute and piano and Fantasy for Flute and Gameboy.

A passionate advocate for equity and inclusion in the arts, Dr. Carlee coordinates the National Flute Association’s Lesson Scholarship Program, supporting underserved students nationwide, including those at the Harlem School of the Arts, the Levine School of Music, the Merit School of Music, and the Harmony Project. He also serves as a mentor for the National Flute Association’s Young Artist Mentorship Program. His past leadership includes serving as Managing Director of the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Festival and mentoring for the Overture Center’s ACES program, which supports students of color pursuing careers in the arts. He has also served as Adjunct Instructor of Flute at East Texas A&M University.

In addition to serving as Principal Flutist of MGSO, Dr. Carlee has performed with the San Antonio Symphony, the Sherman Symphony, the Irving Symphony, Symphony Viva San Antonio, the San Antonio Sinfonietta, the Lone Star Philharmonic, and the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra and has appeared as a concerto soloist with the University of San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, performing Otar Gordelli’s Concerto for Flute and Orchestra. He also currently serves as Co-Artistic Director of the Madison Flute Club.

Dr. Carlee holds degrees from the University of Texas at San Antonio, East Texas A&M University, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he studied under Dr. Conor Nelson as an Advanced Opportunity Fellow in the Mead Witter School of Music.