Today we’d like to introduce you to Benjamin Novotny.
Hi Benjamin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Of course! I grew up in West Homestead, Pennsylvania, a small suburb outside of Pittsburgh. My parents, though not professional musicians by trade, always fostered an appreciation of art and music throughout my life. As my father jests, “the only instrument I play is the radio!” My mother was a clarinetist through college, and my godmother was an experienced pianist. My sister actually showed me that a career in the arts was possible, as she went to college for musical theatre.
As a relatively shy kid with a lack of any athletic aptitude, I ended up getting involved in the school band at the suggestion of my parents. I originally wanted to play the trombone, but I didn’t quite have long enough arms to get through all the positions. I ended up playing the flute because there weren’t any students interested in it, and it was something small enough I could carry. I couldn’t make a sound at first, which was mortifying to the overachiever-type kid I was, but at the suggestion of a family friend, I gave it a shot and ended up really enjoying it, thanks in large part to my band teacher, Mr. Bradley Thompson.
I began taking private lessons when Mr. Thompson had to take a sabbatical, and that’s when I met Ms. Brittany Smith.
I became more and more interested and determined as Brittany helped interweave my love of music with my other interests, and she even helped begin my journey as an arranger and composer. In middle school, Brittany suggested I study with another flute teacher to broaden my horizons after I decided I wanted to become a professional musician. It only took attending a free concert of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for my mother to take the initiative to meet the flutists afterward and ask for advice. There, we met Rhian Kenny, Principal Piccolo of the orchestra, and my life as a musician went to the next level. I studied with Rhian throughout middle school and into high school, and she very quickly taught me discipline, giving me a thorough flute education through solo repertoire, etudes, tone exercises, and technique.
At Rhian’s suggestion, I began studying with Jennifer Steele, 2nd Flutist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, who helped awaken my voice as an artist and guided me through the college audition process. Throughout my schooling, I played in youth orchestras such as the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, where I was exposed to an even larger musical world. I graduated from Steel Valley High School as Valedictorian and presented a senior recital.
I then pursued my Bachelor’s in Music Instrumental Performance at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, studying flute with Dr. Jennifer Grim. Frost was first put on the map for me because of the Frost Wind Ensemble directed by Dr. Robert Carnochan. I had a deep interest in playing in a military band, and upon hearing the ensemble’s recording of Respighi’s Pines of Rome, I knew I had to try and apply. At the same time, Dr. Grim’s playing, teaching, and diverse career deeply inspired me. She showed me the importance of inclusion and advocacy within classical music spaces, and the responsibility musicians have to help create welcoming and meaningful artistic communities. Under both of their mentorship, my interests expanded tremendously. For the first time in my life, I realized the breadth of what becoming a classical musician could mean, and I began working even harder. I developed a deep passion for contemporary music, while also becoming increasingly interested in arts leadership, education, and community engagement.
I learned so much from Dr. Grim, as well as my colleagues and mentors. I became a Music Industry minor, developing an interest in all aspects of the industry, from music supervision to sync licensing. At Dr. Grim’s suggestion, I founded and chaired the Music Instrumental Performance Advisory Council, a student body focused on improving departmental morale and representing student interests within the department of Instrumental Performance. I also founded the Carnochan Woodwind Society, a student organization focused on providing professional development and additional educational opportunities for students interested in woodwind music.
I recently graduated this spring and was named the Theodore Presser Scholar, as well as Outstanding Senior for both the Department of Instrumental Performance and the Frost School of Music Class of 2026. This fall, I will be moving to Chicago to pursue my Master’s in Flute Performance at DePaul University, studying with Aaron Goldman of the National Symphony Orchestra.
Most recently, I became the founder and co-artistic director of no comfort in the waiting room, a Pittsburgh-based contemporary music collective dedicated to cultivating a more inclusive and accessible classical music culture through pay-what-you-can performances and educational outreach. Founded alongside Haley Harrison, the project grew out of our experiences studying contemporary music at the Mostly Modern Festival in Saratoga Springs in 2025, as well as a shared desire to uplift marginalized voices within classical music.
This summer, we will present our inaugural season from June 17th–20th at Little Giant Studios, alongside pop-up performances throughout Pittsburgh, including at the Monroeville Library, Pittsburgh Airport, and the Greenhouse Co-op. The ensemble brings together nine emerging professional musicians from across the country, and the project has become an exciting way for me to combine my interests in performance, contemporary music, arts leadership, advocacy, and community engagement. Looking back, music has consistently pushed me outside of my comfort zone and into spaces I never imagined myself occupying — not only as a performer, but eventually as an organizer, collaborator, and artistic leader.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’ve faced a lot of challenges throughout my journey, from financial barriers to persistent imposter syndrome. My parents made enormous sacrifices to afford me opportunities to learn, from driving hours every week for lessons, to figuring out finances for youth orchestras. Knowing how much they sacrificed created a deep sense of pressure for me. I also struggled with feeling behind many of my peers, who often seemed far more experienced and accomplished than I was. Eventually, I realized I had no choice but to keep working, trust my determination, and continue raising my standards.
The coronavirus pandemic during my high school years affected both my musical and personal development, and those feelings only intensified once I entered music school. The pressure, workload, and constant comparison led to periods of stress and performance anxiety, forcing me to build healthier habits and dedicate time for my own development as a person.
During my time at the Frost School of Music, the loss of Dr. Robert Carnochan became another major turning point in my artistic development. Watching how profoundly his kindness, mentorship, and humanity impacted an entire community changed the way I think about success in music. It pushed me to think more seriously about the kind of artist, collaborator, and leader I want to become, and about the responsibility musicians have to create spaces where people feel supported, valued, and inspired.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a classical flutist, composer, arranger, and arts organizer based between Pittsburgh, PA and Miami, FL. My work bridges performance, contemporary music, and arts leadership. Across everything I do, I am interested in how music can expand access, build community, and push both artists and audiences outside of familiar spaces.
What sets me apart is that I’ve never really been interested in limiting myself to one lane within music. I value being equally invested in the artistic, academic, and organizational sides of the field, and I think that perspective has shaped the kinds of projects and communities I’ve been drawn to build. Whether I’m performing, conducting, organizing a concert series, or working on educational outreach, I’m ultimately interested in creating musical experiences that feel thoughtful, collaborative, and accessible.
As a performer, I have appeared with ensembles including Nu Deco Ensemble, Symphony of the Americas, Ensemble Ibis, Frost Wind Ensemble, Frost Symphony Orchestra, Frost Opera Theater, and the Miami Sousa Band, among others. I am also active as a woodwind doubler and perform regularly in musical theater pit orchestras around Pennsylvania. In 2026, I won Third Prize in the Florida Flute Association College Young Artist Competition, and I will conduct the Frost Flute Ensemble in the premiere of two new arrangements at the 2026 National Flute Association Convention in Portland, Oregon.
I hold a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Performance with a Minor in Music Industry from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami graduating Summa Cum Laude.
My arrangement of Lili Boulanger’s D’un matin de printemps for flute ensemble is published by ALRY Publications, and my research paper, “A Dream You Don’t Recall”: Sound, Reality, and Spatial Distortion in Christopher Cerrone’s Liminal Highway, will be published by the University of California Los Angeles MUSE Journal in Summer 2026. I have also presented my lecture recital Duality of the Voice: The Role of Prose in Contemporary Flute Repertoire at the University of Miami Research, Creativity, and Innovation Forum in 2026.
Alongside performance and research, I am engaged in arts leadership and community-building. I served as President of the Frost Student Council and as Founder and Chairman of the Music Instrumental Performance Advisory Council, and I have also worked as a Teaching Assistant for First Year Directions, and a Tutor for the Experiential Music Curriculum. I also served as the Founder and President of the Carnochan Wind Society, an organization focused on professional development and community-building for woodwind students.
In 2025, I was a fellow at the Mostly Modern Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY, and in 2024 I toured Germany and Austria with the Frost Bands Tour under Dr. Roy McLerran and Dr. Robert Carnochan, performing in major cultural centers while studying the history and tradition of Harmoniemusik.
My principal teachers and mentors include Dr. Jennifer Grim, Rhian Kenny, Jennifer Steele, Megan Ensor, Lindsey Goodman and Claire Gunsbury, all of whom have shaped my artistic development and broadened my perspective on performance, pedagogy, collaboration, and artistic identity.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Success, for me, is being able to engage with and support communities, create art, and remain curious and committed to growth and development. In a field that often defines success through competition results and job titles, I still value those achievements, but I don’t see them as the only measure of a musician’s impact.
Instead, I understand success as something more holistic and ongoing. It is about how I show up in collaborative spaces–how I listen, contribute, and help shape environments where music-making feels meaningful, respectful, and alive. It is also about how I approach artistic decisions, from programming to performance, with an awareness of the communities and stories behind the work. At the same time, I believe success requires remaining curious and committed to growth. I want to continue refining my craft, stay open to change, and keep learning from both musical experiences and lived human interaction. For me, success is not a final destination, but a continuous practice of connection, creation, and growth that ties artistry and community together!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bennovotnymusician.wixsite.com/flute
- Instagram: @ncwr.newmusic & @ben_novotny_musician
- Facebook: no comfort in the waiting room
- Other: https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/little-giant/no-comfort-in-the-waiting-room-new-music-collective-season-1-unheard-unavoidable-unforgettable
