Flute Section
Robert Neale
Instrument: Flute
Member Since: 2015
Hometown: Tampa, Florida
Hobbies/Interests: home projects, spending time with my dogs.
Biography: Robert Neale graduated from the University of South Florida, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Flute Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education. He is in his seventh season performing with the Florida Wind Band. Robert has served as the Principal Flutist in The Tampa Bay Symphony and the St. Petersburg Wind Symphony and is a substitute flutist for The Florida Orchestra. He has also appeared as a soloist with the St. Petersburg Wind Symphony and the Wiregrass High School Orchestra. Robert is a member of the Flutes4 quartet, who was selected to perform at the Florida Flute Association and the National Flute Association in San Diego, CA. Along with an active performance schedule, Robert teaches flute privately and maintains an additional full-time career in property management.
John Brennan
Instrument: Flute
Member Since: 2012
Hometown: Lutz, Florida
Hobbies/Interests: art, photography, outdoors
Biography: John Brennan has been a flutist with the Florida Wind Band since 2012. He graduated with a degree in music from the University of South Florida, where he studied with Dr. Kim McCormick. John has performed at the Florida Flute Association, the National Flute Association's annual conventions, and the St. Pete Opera. Along with music, he is a professional artist and has been recognized by USF as an "Outstanding Young Alumnus."
Anne Wall
Instrument: Flute
Member Since: 2018
Hometown: St. Paul, Minnesota
Hobbies/Interests: swimming, crossword puzzles, word games
Biography: Anne Wall has played with the Florida Wind Band since 2018 and has performed with orchestras in Chicago, Virginia, and London, England. In London, she spent several happy years as a member of the Lecosaldi Ensemble, which had the distinction of performing all of the Bach Cantatas. She graduated from St. Olaf College and later studied in England with Trevor Wye and William Bennett. Anne and her husband live in Tampa with their four children, a dog, and the occasional goldfish.
Mandy Swaim
Instrument: Flute
Member Since: 2017
Hometown: Tampa, FL
Hobbies/Interests: traveling and exploring new places
Biography: Mandy Swaim is an avid performer and teacher of flute and is a highly sought-after as a middle and high school flute clinician in the Tampa area. Her students have proved numerous successes in festivals, honor bands, and competitions at the county, district, and state levels, as well as college auditions. Her passion for music education has sparked a particular interest in researching and creating pedagogical and instructional techniques to assist the developing flutist. Dr. Swaim completed a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, where her studies focused on flute performance, emphasizing early flute pedagogy. She holds a Master of Music degree, a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in music education from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from the University of South Florida.
John Gonzalez
Instrument: Flute
Member Since: 2022
Hometown: Orlando, Florida
Hobbies/Interests: traveling, art, architecture, photography, design
Biography: John Gonzalez is an active performer in the Tampa area. He plays piccolo with the St. Petersburg Wind Symphony at St. Petersburg’s College, is the founding member of the Flutes4 quartet, and has performed with various other groups in the area. John has studied with Carl Hall, Lew Sligh, and Christina Smith and has been coached by other prominent flutists. He has been chosen to perform at the National Flute Association and the Florida Flute Association conventions. John enjoys playing baroque flute, other early flutes, recorders, and the ukulele.
Francesca Arnone
Instrument: Piccolo
Member Since: 2020
Hometown: Temple Terrace, Florida
Hobbies/Interests: reading, creative activities, cooking, traveling
Biography: Francesca Arnone has been featured as a flute and piccolo soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician, and educator in the US and abroad. She has held Principal Flute, Second Flute, and Piccolo positions in orchestras in the US and Mexico and currently performs with orchestras and opera companies throughout Florida. Now the flute professor at the University of South Florida, Dr. Arnone, has taught at Boise State, West Virginia, and Baylor universities, as well as many summer festivals and camps. She has been a concerto soloist and recording artist on flute, alto flute, and piccolo, in repertoire ranging from Bach to Chen Yi. Raised in Port Charlotte, Florida, Dr. Arnone is a grateful musician nurtured by music educators in the Florida school system. Please see www.francescaarnone.com.