Zofia Neugebauer was born in the town of Wodzislaw Slaski, Poland in 1994, and started playing the piano at the age of five. However, her fascination with the subtle possibilities of the flute led her to take it up at the age of ten, and her continued passion for its rich and delicate sound has developed into a rich and creative career. Her career as a flute soloist began when she performed with the Katowice Symphony Orchestra at the age of 13, and has since led her to perform, compete and study in many of Europe’s most prestigious musical centres.

In order to further her musical knowledge, Zofia completed her studies in Wroclaw, at the specialised music school “Karol Szymanowski“ under Cezary Traczewski, and where she had the opportunity to work with several inspiring performers and teachers, including Prof. Felix Renggli, and was able to attend his class at the Music Hochschule, Basel. Over the next few years, she worked closely with Prof. Renggli on her musical development, and found opportunities with ensembles and orchestras in festivals in Germany and Switzerland.

Zofia concluded her Bachelor’s (earning the highest grade possible and a distinction) in Basel in 2016, and immediately began a Masters in Performance at the same school. However, her initial postgraduate studies were interrupted when she was selected as a member of the Berlin Philharmonic’s Karajan Academy in 2017. Over the next two years, she continued to learn and develop as a member of this select institution under the guidance of Mathieu Dufour.Zofia was awarded the position of Principal Flute with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra in January 2019. She also regularly appears as a solo flautist with the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, Camerata Zurich and the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, and with conductors such as Simon Rattle, Ivan Fischer, Zubin Mehta and Paavo Järvi.

However, Zofia remains active as an ensemble musician and performer as well, frequently performing a wide spectrum of repertoire with the artistically dynamic “AYA Music”. She has participated in competitions across Europe, and was awarded a scholarship by the Mozart Gesellschaft Dortmund in 2018. She was also a Fellow of the Polish Ministry of Culture.

Zofia remains committed to her own artistic development and growth. Her love for the flute remains as pure as it was when she was first drawn to it, and every fresh musical challenge is welcome as a possibility to grow still further as a musician.