Valerie Coleman is regarded by many as an iconic artist who continues to pave her own path as a composer, Grammy-nominated flutist and entrepreneur whose works have garnered many awards. The Washington Post called her one of the “Top 35 Women Composers” and Performance Today named her 2020 Classical Woman of the Year. Commissions include the Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, Atlanta Symphony, Library of Congress, and Metropolitan Opera/Lincoln Center Theater, and her work has been performed by many of the world’s most prominent orchestras. Valerie began her appointment as part of The Juilliard School’s composition faculty in the fall of 2024.
Former flutist of the Imani Winds, Valerie is the founder of this acclaimed ensemble whose 24-year legacy is documented and featured in a dedicated exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Committed to arts education, entrepreneurship and chamber music advocacy, Valerie created the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival in 2011, a summer mentorship program in New York City welcoming young leaders from over 100 international institutions.
