Audrey Jean Wells was born in Kirkland Lake, ON and moved to Timmins with her family two years later. She began playing the flute in the music program at Timmins High & Vocational School under the direction of Joe Bilenki.  She also took private voice lessons with Rosanne Simunovic, and piano and theory lessons with Mary Baderski.

She travelled to the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto for flute lessons with Eileen Fawcett and studied flute with Anne-Elise Keefer in the music education program at the Faculty of Music, The University of Western Ontario.  She later received coaching from flutists Suzanne Shulman in Hamilton and Maria Pelletier in Toronto.

She has attended master classes given by such artists as Sir James Galway; Jeanne Baxtresser, retired Principal Flute of the New York Philharmonic; Emmanuel Pahud, Principal Flute of the Berlin Philharmonic; Robert Langevin, Principal Flute of the New York Philharmonic; Donald Peck, retired Principal Flute of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the late Geoffrey Gilbert of England among others.

Audrey is also a Certified Teacher with the Royal Conservatory of Music at the Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced Levels for flute, and the Elementary and Intermediate Levels for theory.

Audrey began her teaching career in 1982 in Timmins.  Although she has been teaching for 41 years, she never considers teaching as “work.”  She derives great satisfaction and enjoyment from watching her students progress from year-to-year.  Her students have won top awards and scholarships in music festivals, competitions and examinations at the local and provincial levels.  Two of her students have won the Gold Medal of the Royal Conservatory of Music for achieving the highest marks in woodwind examinations in the Province of Ontario.  She also gives flute workshops in area schools, teaches music rudiments, and is the founder and music director of the North Winds Flute Choir.

Audrey was the flute soloist on the compact disc “On with the Dance”, a recording featuring the music of Canadian composer Mary-Lee Mascioli.  She is a founding member and was former Principal Flute of the Timmins Symphony Orchestra and for many years was the solo flutist at the Church of the Nativity in Timmins.

She is an active member of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association, the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Associations, The Canadian Flute Association, the National Flute Association (U.S.A.), the Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects and the Ottawa Flute Association.  She is past Editor of the ORMTA’s “Notes” magazine, the ORMTA’s provincial journal.  She served as the North East Zone Representative on the ORMTA’s Provincial Council and is Secretary-Treasurer and Professional Development Coordinator of the Timmins Branch.  Audrey has also received the ORMTA’s Contribution to Teaching Award.

Audrey Jean Wells, R.M.T.

Flute, Preparatory–Level 8 Theory

661 Eyre Boulevard,  Timmins, ON  P4N 4Z3

 Tel: (705) 264-0066