Artistic Directors
Dr. Danielle Breisach, Co-Artistic Director
Dr. Danielle Breisach’s exuberance and compassion permeate her performing and teaching. In demand as a collaborative musician and teacher, Dr. Breisach has performed all over the United States as well as in Canada, Asia and Europe. In addition to teaching as Associate Lecturer of Flute at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, she maintains a private studio of over 30 highly successful students in Madison, WI. In the summer, Dr. Breisach teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Summer Music Clinics and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Flute Camp. She has adjudicated competitions for the National Flute Association, the Florida Flute Association and the Wisconsin Flute Festival.
As Co-Artistic Director of the Madison Flute Club since 2012, Dr. Breisach has extended the reach of the organization through founding the Chamber Ensemble, which gave its debut performance at the National Flute Association’s annual convention in 2014. Additionally, Dr. Breisach founded the Middle School and High School Flute Ensembles in 2013, giving young, Madison-area flutists the opportunity to collaborate with one another and gain experience on piccolo, alto flute and bass flute.
Dr. Breisach has appeared in performances, masterclasses and festivals in United States, Canada, Italy, and China including the Bay View Music Conservatory, Le Domaine Forget, and the Banff Centre. She has performed with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, among others, and has been a concerto soloist with the Western Michigan University Symphony Orchestra. In addition to modern flute, she is a baroque flute and celtic flute enthusiast, and has participated in baroque masterclasses with Kim Pineda and Barthold Kuijken.
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Ben Carlee, Co-Artistic Director
San Antonio, TX native Dr. Ben Carlee is a flutist, educator, and arts advocate whose passion for music was first sparked by the beeps and boops of his Super Nintendo, especially Super Mario World. As a child, he would often pause his games to get lost in the music, finding in it both an escape and a world all its own. With limited access to traditional concerts, he drew inspiration from video game soundtracks, later transformed by the story and score of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This connection ignited a lifelong journey with video game music, leading him to perform with the Video Games Live tour and to found the Madison Gamer Symphony Orchestra (MGSO), where his visionary leadership earned recognition as a prizewinner in the 2024 UW–Madison Arts Business Competition.
Ben is an active performer, clinician, and adjudicator, with appearances at 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 NFA Convention, he commissioned and premiered Sones para Flauta y Mariachi by Dr. Jorge Sosa—the first concerto written for flute and mariachi—performing with UTSA’s Mariachi Los Paisanos. He has also premiered works at the North American Conference on Video Game Music by Dr. Thomas Yee, including Rhapsody on Eight Themes from Octopath Traveler and Fantasy for Flute and Gameboy. His forthcoming album, Ni de aquí, ni de allá: Flute Music by Mexican and Chican@ Composers (Centaur Records, 2025), further reflects his commitment to expanding the repertoire to include Latine composers.
Ben coordinates the National Flute Association’s Lesson Scholarship Program, supporting underserved students nationwide—including those at the Harlem School of the Arts, Levine School of Music, Merit School, and Harmony Project—and serves on the NFA Flute Clubs Committee. His past leadership includes serving as managing director of UW–Madison’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Festival and served as a counselor/mentor for the Overture Center’s ACES program, which supports students of color interested in pursuing arts careers. He also previously served as Adjunct Professor of Flute at East Texas A&M University for the Fall 2024 term.
In addition to his flute expertise, Ben has received vocal training from GRAMMY-winning artist Dr. Sarah Brailey at UW–Madison, as well as Latin GRAMMY winner Juan Ortiz, where he has developed specialized research in vocal pedagogy for flutists. His artistry extends to the stage and screen, with acting credits that include Chip Tolentino in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Show, Henry in Next to Normal, and Princeton in Avenue Q. He also starred in WellCed Productions’ film Symphony of Silence, which won the Platinum Remi Award at WorldFest Houston 2012 and is available on Amazon Video. Earlier in his career, Ben was a company member at Magik Children’s Theatre, where he performed mainstage and touring productions, as well as serving as music director and youth camp instructor. A former mariachi musician of over 10 years, Ben has competed at the annual Mariachi Vargas Tecalitlan competition, winning 3rd place with Mariachi Paredes de Tejastitlan de UT Austin.
Ben holds degrees from the University of Texas at San Antonio, East Texas A&M University and a DMA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he studied under Dr. Conor Nelson as an Advanced Opportunity Fellow. He is thrilled to join the Madison Flute Club as co-artistic director, continuing his mission to spread the joy of music throughout the community.
Conducting Staff
Melissa Ludois, Youth Director
James Lynch, Associate Director
Timothy Mullins, Student Intern
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