Kelly Hornbarger is principal flute of the Fort Wayne Area Community Band. In 2005, Kelly won a seat in the National Wind Ensemble for high school and college students, which performed at Carnegie Hall under the direction of H. Robert Reynolds. She received her Bachelor of Music Performance at East Tennessee State University, where she studied the Suzuki teaching method for flute with Rebecca Paluzzi. During her tenure there, she was principal piccolo in the top ensemble, performed in the Chamber Winds ensemble, was a finalist in the Honors Recital competition, and was a part of the flute choir. In 2009, she was a part of the ETSU Wind Ensemble during its performance at Carnegie Hall as principal piccolo. After her undergraduate work, Kelly went on to earn a master’s degree in Music Theory Pedagogy from Michigan State University, where she served as a TA for two years. She spent much of her assistantship teaching freshman ear training and sight singing.
She has performed as soloist with several groups in Indiana, including the Manchester University Symphonic Band and the Manchester Symphony Orchestra. Her original flute choir composition, Emerald Hills and Sapphire Sea has been performed at the National Flute Association Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina and Orlando, Florida.
Outside her major instrument, Kelly also has a passion for playing the pennywhistle, ocarina, and other ethnic flutes. She also arranges pieces for various flute ensembles, which she records herself and posts to her YouTube channel. She currently resides in Fort Wayne, Indiana with her husband Josh and daughter Amelia.