Kim O’Hare says Deptford High’s musical department was instrumental in her career as a flutist.
Professional flute and piccolo performer and Deptford High School graduate Kim O’Hare has been named principal flutist for the Broadway revival of the musical “Chess”.
A resident of New York City, O’Hare said the news came in May after years of her subbing on the musical “Wicked” and a one-night performance of music from “Chess” in 2022, along with her recording of promotional material.
“During that performance and the years that followed, the goal was to have an official revival of ‘Chess’ on Broadway, but it was unclear when it would happen,” O’Hare recalled. “When I finally got the call in May to record the promotional material, I was beyond excited.
“Working on the show has been a dream,” she added. “The cast is amazing, the orchestra rocks, the audiences are filled with so much energy – and I just have so much fun every day at my job.”
O’Hare’s journey with the flute began when she was a fourth grader at Oak Valley Elementary and realized she wanted to play the instrument for the rest of her life. She continued performing at Deptford Middle School – then known as Monongahela Middle School – and Deptford High, where she was valedictorian of her 2004 class.
“My time in the Deptford High School music department was amazing,” O’Hare explained. “I was supported in every way. I was drum major of the marching band and performed as a soloist during my senior year with the wind ensemble.
“It gave me the experience I needed to set me up for success in college,” she added. “The (high school) music department is incredible.”
Previews for “Chess” began on Oct. 15. The musical will begin its run at the Imperial Theatre in New York on Thursday, Nov. 16, and continue until May 3.
Along with her work in Broadway, O’Hare has performed with various groups. She was named the second flutist in the Harrisburg Symphony in June, flutist for Quintet of the Americas in New York and assistant orchestra manager for the AIMS (American Institute of Musical Studies) summer music festival in Austria.
O’Hare has also worked with musicians in New York; Baltimore; Washington, D.C; and Philadelphia.
“The path of a professional musician is rarely linear,” she noted, “so I continue to look forward to opportunities that life has to offer.”
