Holly
HOFMANN
Holly Hofmann’s first memories as a musician are some of her fondest. At age 5 she would spend evenings playing a child’s flutophone, accompanying her father, a jazz guitarist, on standards from the Great American Songbook.
It was an auspicious beginning for the woman who, after years of studying her instrument and performing in classical ensembles, would find equally satisfying partnerships with such renowned jazzmen as Ray Brown, Frank Wess, Cedar Walton, Kenny Barron and many of other top names in the music.
Today, Holly Hofmann has taken the flute from its middle-of-the-orchestra origins and made it a front-line instrument in jazz. She has earned the praise and respect of musicians and jazz aficionados for her bluesy, bebop-based improvisations and technical prowess on an instrument that many once regarded as definitely not a jazz horn. Hofmann has proven them wrong and critics have labeled her one of the most authoritative, swinging flutists — male or female — in jazz today.
Born in Cleveland, Holly Hofmann’s musical journey started with a robust classical foundation, honed at the Interlochen Arts Academy and under the guidance of Maurice Sharp, the principal flutist of the Cleveland Orchestra. Her academic pursuit continued with a B.A. in music from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a graduate degree from the University of Northern Colorado.
Relocating to San Diego in the late ’80s marked a transformative period for Hofmann. She recorded her debut CD, “Take Note,” with acclaimed musicians like Mike Wofford, Bob Magnusson, and Sherman Ferguson. During her early San Diego years, Hofmann curated a national jazz program at the Horton Grand Hotel, presenting luminaries such as Diana Krall and Cassandra Wilson. Collaborations with pianist Bill Cunliffe and the legendary Ray Brown significantly influenced her career, leading to extensive tours and critical acclaim. Her marriage to pianist/arranger Mike Wofford in 2000 paved the way for collaborative quartet settings and the formation of Flutology, an all-star sextet. Their 2013 release, “Turn Signal,” and the 2014 offering, “Low Life: the Alto Flute Project,” showcased Hofmann’s unparalleled blend of precision and spontaneity, solidifying her position as a trailblazing flutist in the jazz world.
Holly remains involved with producing jazz concerts and clinics, something she feels musicians need to be involved in, and consults on several jazz parties and
festivals, including the Oregon Coast Jazz Party and various jazz series in San Diego.
Hofmann also teaches jazz and flute and conducts master classes at schools and universities around the country. She is on the Board of Directors at Keynote Jazz Foundation which provides concerts and clinics in high schools and middle schools in the United States.
With twelve recordings as a leader in the duo or quartet setting, Holly Hofmann is earning respect for the flute as a jazz instrument. Audiences and promoters
recognize her as one of the premiere jazz flutists in the world, and alto great Phil Woods, while describing her performance at the Telluride Jazz Festival, said “Along with Hubert Laws, Holly is frankly the best jazz flute player today.” She has become the standard by which jazz flute is being judged.
Holly Hofmann
