About Darrin Thaves:Darrin Thaves is currently Instructor of Flute at California State University, Long Beach and Principal Flute with the Northwest Sinfonietta. He is an honors graduate of the University of Puget Sound with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Dean’s List Graduate of California State University of Long Beach with a Masters in Flute Performance.
The winner of many competitions, including National Flute Association Convention Performers Competition and Seattle Ladies Music Club Young Artist Competition, Darrin has appeared as a featured artist with 2nd City Chamber Music Series, P.U.M.A Series, and the Tacoma Art Museum Chamber Music Series, and concertos with the CSULB Symphonic Band, Tacoma Community College Chamber Orchestra, Tacoma Symphony Orchestra, Lake Union Civic Orchestra, World Harp Congress, and multiple times with the Northwest Sinfonietta.
Darrin has been a Flute Instructor at CSULB for 26 years and maintains a large private studio in Long Beach. As an adjudicator, he has judged for Seattle Ladies Music Club Young Artist Competition Orange County Musical Arts, Junior Bach Festival, CSULB Middle School Flute Competition, MTAC Western Regionals, CBDA High School Honor Group Auditions, SCSBOA High School and Middle School All-Southern Honor Group Auditions, National Flute Association Collegiate Flute Choir Competition, Seattle Flute Society Horsfall Competition, NFA Flute Choir Competition, and the NFA High School Flute Choir Competition.
He is the founder and director of the Pacific Flute Ensemble. Darrin has led the ensemble through twenty-five seasons of concerts in Long Beach, five featured recital performances at NFA Conventions and eight commissions. Mr. Thaves has conducted the National High School Flute Choir and is the past Flute Choir Coordinator and High School Soloist Coordinator for the NFA. As a conductor, he has led the National High School Flute Choir, Flute Choir Sight-reading Sessions at two National Conventions and two Los Angeles Flute Guild Festivals. Darrin proudly conducted the National LGBTQIA+ Flute Ensemble at the 2024 NFA Convention and performances in 2025 at the National Portrait Gallery and the Library of Congress.