New York flutist Don Bailey has recorded for acclaimed classical labels including Summit, Genuin, Parnassus, Mark, International, and Albany Records. His debut album Voyage was hailed by American Record Guide for its “impeccably controlled sound… full of artful colors and nuances,” and praised for its “exceptional attention to detail” and “unfailing precision.” Fanfare called his follow-up release Tribute “a delight from beginning to end,” lauding his “brilliant technique and bristling sense of excitement.” And WXXI Classical Radio described Hypnosis as “a sparkling CD, filled with charming miniatures… an entrancing album that will stay with you long after the last note has died away.”
A native of Clarksdale, Mississippi, Don Bailey began his musical journey in Dallas, where his career first took flight. In addition to his work as a performer and recording artist, he has been a dedicated educator and leader in the flute community—serving as a university professor, a board member of both the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra and the New York Flute Club, and as president of the Texas and Louisiana Flute Societies. A former Director of Floot Fire, he has inspired generations of young flutists through teaching and mentorship. His performances have taken him to stages across the U.S. and abroad, including festivals in Aspen, Colorado; Nice, France; and Spoleto, Italy, as well as numerous National Flute Association conventions.
As Director and Flutist of Voyage Unlimited, Inc., a New York not-for-profit devoted to the performance, recording, and publication of both new and established chamber works for flute and strings, Don continues to champion artistic collaboration and innovation. During his time as solo flutist with Classical Quintessence aboard the Cunard cruise ship Vistafjord, he began a lasting musical partnership with Polish pianist and composer Adam Manijak—now a vital part of the Voyage Unlimited vision. Their Voyage Unlimited Series – First Edition is published by Falls House Press and distributed by Theodore Presser. A Second Edition, featuring new transcriptions of works by Albéniz and Bartók, will soon be released by Alry Publications.
Don performs with acclaimed collaborative pianists Donald Sulzen of the Munich Piano Trio and Dianne Frazer of the National Flute Association, as well as with the Grammy-winning Attacca Quartet. His concert appearances span prestigious venues such as Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Bruno Walter Hall at Lincoln Center; CAMI Hall; the New York Society for Ethical Culture; Munich’s Gasteig; and a live broadcast for WNYC at Symphony Space. He has appeared in the American Landmark Festivals alongside pianist Leslie Jones, and expanded his reach through a Manhattan world music showcase—blending Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Spanish, Italian, and Colombian influences in collaboration with composer and film scorer Christopher Caliendo. Additional performances include engagements with the Aspen Festival Orchestra, the Dallas Chamber Orchestra, the Dallas Bach Orchestra, the Shreveport Symphony, and the contemporary ensemble Voices of Change.
Don’s artistic path led him into close collaboration with composer Gian Carlo Menotti, with whom he worked at Menotti’s home in Scotland to compile a detailed chronology of the composer’s works. Their partnership continued at the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy, where Don organized the Concerti di Mezzogiorno and Umbria Segreta chamber music series, performing alongside renowned artists including the Attacca Quartet, pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, cellists Gautier Capuçon and Natalie Clein, and violinist Jack Liebeck. In February 2007, he joined members of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Dallas Opera Orchestra in a recording of Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief, produced by Lone Spring Arts and released by Albany Records.
Don’s writing and insights have appeared in leading national music journals, including Flute Talk, Flute Forum, and The Flute View. He was featured in Windplayer Magazine’s bestselling anthology Flute Stories – 101 Inspirational Stories by the World’s Best Flute Players, a volume now regarded as essential reading for performers across the arts. His journey and perspective were highlighted in Helen Spielman’s The Musical Road Less Traveled for the Fall 2007 issue of The Flutist Quarterly, and he has shared his experiences through a Flute 360 podcast appearance and as the cover feature of Flute Talk magazine’s September 2008 issue.
Don pursued his master’s and doctoral studies in flute performance at the University of North Texas, further refining his artistry during summers at the Aspen Music Festival and the Académie d’été in Nice, France. His musical lineage is shaped by a generation of legendary flutists, having studied with Julius Baker, Michel Debost, Alain Marion, Judith Mendenhall, George Morey, Marcel Moyse, and Albert Tipton. He performs on a handcrafted 14-carat gold Brannen-Cooper flute—an instrument as rich and nuanced as the voice he brings to it.
