Susan J. Maclagan
Susan J. Maclagan is a Canadian flutist, educator, author, and researcher based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Toronto and has studied with distinguished flutists and pedagogues including Geoffrey Gilbert, Louis Moyse, Jeanne Baxtresser, and Keith Underwood.
Her performing experience includes the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Calgary Youth Orchestra, and Canadian Chamber Orchestra. She has also appeared as a chamber musician with Windsong, a flute and harp or flute and piano ensemble, and has performed in numerous concerts, recitals, and festivals.
An experienced educator, Maclagan has taught at the University of Toronto, Havergal College, other private schools, and summer music programs. She has maintained a private teaching studio, offering instruction in flute, music theory, recorder, and fife. Many of her students have received gold medals for outstanding achievement in Royal Conservatory of Music flute examinations.
Maclagan is best known as the author of A Dictionary for the Modern Flutist, a comprehensive reference work first published by Scarecrow Press in 2009, with an expanded second edition released in 2019. The second edition contains more than 1,600 entries and over 150 illustrations covering flute history, instrument construction, acoustics, performance techniques, articulation, intonation, ornamentation, repertoire, and significant figures in the flute world. It also addresses contemporary developments, including beatboxing techniques, and features 18 appendixes, an extensive bibliography, and contributions from internationally recognized specialists, including Trevor Wye, Barthold Kuijken, Gary Lewis, and David Shorey.
The dictionary has received recognition within the musicological community. In a review published in Notes, the journal of the Music Library Association (June 2022), Beth Thompson praised its comprehensive coverage and value as a reference resource for flute studios, educators, and researchers.
Maclagan also served as editor, contributor, and advisor for Trevor Wye’s Flute Secrets (2017). Her articles have appeared in Flutewise and The Flutist Quarterly, reflecting her continuing engagement with flute scholarship and pedagogy.
Susan Maclagan continues to contribute to the international flute community through teaching, research, freelance performance, and educational initiatives. Her broad experience in performance, pedagogy, and scholarship informs her perspective as a jury member of the Global Flute Excellence Awards.