Melanie Rodríguez Díaz is a Dominican flutist currently based in Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America, where she is pursuing her Master’s in Music Performance degree, under the guidance of professor Ebonee Thomas. Rodríguez was born in Barahona, Dominican Republic.

As a flutist, Ms. Rodríguez has mastered the very traditional classical flute playing and is becoming interested in working with new music for flute. In 2021 Melanie premiered The Ravages of Time for solo flute by Eddie Slusser. She is also inclined to work as a chamber musician: she was the flute player of University of Memphis’ Magnolia Undergraduate Woodwind Quintet, and was a member of Camerata Caribensis in the Dominican Republic in 2017.

Also in 2021, Ms. Rodríguez Díaz worked as part of the organizing committee of the 2nd International Flautístico Nymph-Project Flute Festival, on its online edition. On that same year, Melanie was awarded the 2nd place of the Senior division, Winds Category at the Beethoven’s Club of Memphis Soloist Competition in 2021

Regarding her ensemble experience, Melanie has been a member of University of Memphis’ Wind Ensemble and University Orchestra. As a younger performer, she was a founder member of Orquesta Dominicana de Vientos, performing with them in a tour in Colombia in 2009; principal flute of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional Juvenil with its former conductor Darwin Aquino; principal flute of the Symphony Orchestra of the Conservatory.

As a soloist, Melanie performed the Chaminade Concertino in 2016 with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic. She has performed in masterclasses for Demarre McGill, Davide Formisano, Ebonee Thomas, Katherine Borst Jones, Niurka González, Elise Blatchford, Rafael Rodríguez, among other renowned flutists.

Ms. Rodríguez Díaz was a member of the 2023 cohort of the Young Artist Mentorship Program created by the National Flute Association’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Melanie was also featured as a solo performer at the “Shining a Light” concert organized by Miller Nichols Library  at UMKC.

Melanie holds a Bachelor’s in Music Performance degree from the University of Memphis, where she studied with professor Elise Blatchford. She also performed a degree recital in 2017 as part of the completion of her music intermediate studies at the Dominican National Conservatory of Music, under professor Alaima González.