Hailed by the New York Times as possessing “rich tone and deft technique,” Hannah Porter Occeña is Assistant Professor of Flute at the University of Northern Iowa and Principal Flutist of the Topeka Symphony Orchestra (Topeka, KS). Previous positions include Principal Flute of the Midwest Chamber Ensemble (Prairie Village, KS) and Associate Principal Flute of the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra (Bismarck, ND). The 2021 Mu Phi Epsilon International Competition winner, Dr. Occeña has performed as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, and clinician throughout the US and abroad.

Dr. Occeña strives to make classical works accessible and engaging to diverse audiences. Between her performance schedule and collegiate teaching responsibilities, Dr. Occeña participates in outreach concerts and programs at schools and community centers.

Committed to the rich heritage and new horizons of the repertoire, Dr. Occeña works to bring pieces by living composers to life. She is a commissioning member of the Flute New Music Consortium and has co-premiered works by Zhou Long (Confluence, 2015), Carter Pann (Giantess, 2018), Valerie Coleman (Amazonia, 2020), and Samuel Zyman (Intuition, 2022). She has also privately commissioned and premiered several new works, including Shenandoah Variations for flute and orchestra by Joseph Kern and “the whirring dusk” by Lisa Bost-Sandberg.

A dedicated scholar, Dr. Occeña has presented at National Flute Association conventions in Chicago, Orlando, and Salt Lake City as well as for the Rochester Flute Fair, Iowa Music Educators Association and Iowa Bandmasters Association. She has collaborated on new editions of the Sonata in B minor by Amanda Maier and the Sonata op. 94 by Sergei Prokofiev and served on the National Flute Association Special Publications Committee.

Dr. Occeña is a DMA graduate of Stony Brook University, where she studied with Carol Wincenc; she holds a Master of Music Dip.RAM from the Royal Academy of Music and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. When not performing, Dr. Occeña enjoys long-distance running and spending time outdoors with her family. Her album, Confluence, is available to stream on all major services. She is a Miyazawa Artist and plays on a Miyazawa Elite. For more information, please visit http://hannahporter.instantencore.com.