Flutist and Music Instructor

Mary Gheen is a flutist, teacher, and piano technician in Wilmington, North Carolina.

She received her Bachelor of Music from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington with Dr. Mary Jo White, and her Master of Music from East Carolina University with Dr. Christine Gustafson where she was also a Teaching Assistant and Assistant Piano Technician. During her studies, she performed with the UNCW Wind Ensemble and Chamber Winds as principal flute, and with the ECU Symphony Orchestra and New Music Chamber Ensembles. She was a winner of the Raleigh Area Flute Association Annual Contest Graduate Division, a finalist for the ECU Concerto Competition, and was nominated for the Rosen-Schaffel Competition for Young and Emerging Artists. 

Her passion for chamber music led her to become a founding member of the Stranded Silver Flute Quartet. Stranded Silver is an award-winning ensemble with a vision to bring contemporary works and new commissions to life through interdisciplinary performances. They have been named a semi-finalist in the Savvy Musician in ACTION Chamber Music Competition and a finalist for The American Prize, while also being chosen as performers for the Mid-Atlantic Flute Fair, New Music Gathering, and the National Flute Association Annual Convention.

In 2015, Mary Gheen auditioned and won a flute/piccolo position with the North Carolina 440th Army National Guard Band. During her time of service, Sgt. Gheen performed across the state in a variety of ceremonies, parades, and service tours. In 2019, she was unexpectedly called to deploy as an Intelligence Analyst in the Middle East which placed all music endeavors on hold until her return in August, 2020.

Currently, Mary Gheen is a Full Time Music Instructor at Cape Fear Community College, and runs an active flute studio. She has been a flutist for the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra, the Wilmington Symphonic Winds, Opera Wilmington, as well as other chamber ensembles in her community such as the Tallis Chamber Orchestra. When she isn’t teaching, performing, or working on pianos (which you can read more about below), she is enjoying time with her family and pets. Mary enjoys running, the beach, spending time with family and friends, and drinking copious amounts of coffee at any time of day.

Piano Technician

Mary Gheen is a Registered Piano Technician through the Piano Technicians Guild and earned additional training through workshops at Oberlin College of Music and Steinway & Sons NY Factory. She has been contracted as a piano technician for numerous institutions and venues, including UNC-Wilmington, UNC-Chapel Hill, East Carolina University, Francis Marion, High Point University, Wilmington’s Historic Thalian Hall, Wilson Center, and for the Vivace International Music Festival. Mary is an active technician in her local community and works with churches, private homes, and teaching studios as well.