Social Media for the 21st Century Musician

Entrance for this event in Alix Goolden Performance Hall is at the Victoria Conservatory of Music (900 Johnson Street).

Admission: Free for Victoria Conservatory students, $10 suggested donation for the general public

Join flutist & content creator Gillian Derer (@gill.flutes) for an insightful lecture and discussion on mastering social media as a classical musician. Learn to build your online presence, create your brand, monetize your platforms, and post with a purpose!

About Gillian Derer

Hailing from small-town Ontario, Canada, Burkart Emerging Artist Gillian Derer is a flutist and educator known for her passion, innovation, and endless energy, both on and off stage. Recognized internationally as a champion for music education and the arts, Gillian is committed to expanding access to classical music through performance, mentorship, and digital outreach.

As a soloist, Gillian has performed concertos with the Niagara Symphony Orchestra, The National Academy Orchestra of Canada, and the London Citadel Band. She presented a solo recital at her alma mater, Western University in 2025 and will join the Peterborough Symphony for Mozart’s Flute Concerto in G Major in April 2026. Gillian has earned first prizes in competitions internationally, including the Canadian International Music Competition, the Schubert International Music Competition, and the Charleston International Music Competition, among others.

As an orchestral musician, Gillian has worked with a wide range of conductors, including Peter Oundjian, JoAnn Falleta, Joshua Weilsterstein, Tania Miller, Earl Lee and Dinuk Wijeratne, in orchestras such as London Symphonia, the Niagara Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Toronto, Seocho Philharmonia (Korea), the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Conservatory Orchestra, with which she made her Carnegie Hall debut in May 2024. Gillian has also performed in a variety of chamber music and pit-band ensembles, and can be heard on the original cast recording of the award-winning musical ‘A Perfect Bowl of Pho.’

Offstage, Gillian prioritizes her role as a mentor. Gillian has presented guest lectures and classes at Western University, Carnegie Mellon University, and The Consummate Flutist, and served as a panelist on “Digital Harmony” at the 53rd National Flute Association Convention. Gillian nurtures a private studio and has served as a guest clinician and speaker across Ontario, Canada, within the Thames Valley, Yorkville Region, and Toronto District School Boards. Gillian was named Artist-in-Residence alongside her duo partner, Jacob Valcheff, at Alexander Mackenzie High School in 2024, and coached chamber music at the Taylor Academy of the Royal Conservatory of Music in 2023.

Online, Gillian maintains a social media presence of over forty thousand followers across Instagram, Youtube and Substack, where she shares practice strategies, career insights, and day-to-day reflections drawn from her life as a professional musician. Gillian has been interviewed by the Flute View Magazine, Close-Up Culture, and Orford Music Academy, and seeks to inspire musicians around the world to diversify their music careers through the use of social media.

Gillian is a proud graduate of Western University and the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music, and currently studies with Alberto Almarza at Carnegie Mellon University in pursuit of her Master’s of Music degree. She is forever indebted to her teachers Sharon Kahan, Susan Hoeppner, Nora Shulman, and Julien Beaudiment. Gillian performs on a Lillian Burkart 998 Silver flute with 14K Gold Tone Holes, paired with a 14K Gold Mancke Headjoint with a Grenadilla Lip Plate.

Venue Accessibility

The 900 Johnson Street entrance is wheelchair accessible at street level. There’s a drop-off zone out front, elevator access inside, and several accessible washrooms, including a gender-neutral washroom.

For priority seating or other accommodations, contact us in advance.

For full details, visit vcm.bc.ca/plan-your-visit