Hannah Holman and Lynne Stukart are making beautiful music together. They sing each other’s praises.

Stukart – a LeClaire flutist, teacher, and sound therapist – was recently named the third executive director of The Deanery School of Music, 1103 Main St., Davenport, which has been open for lessons since January 2022.

It was founded in 2019 by its artistic director, Hannah Holman, principal cellist of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and a cellist for the New York City Ballet.

The school is a 5,500-square-foot structure, built in 1930, that was previously the residence for the Dean of the Cathedral, and had been vacant since 2009.

“Many of you might know Lynne already, as her reputation for being an extraordinary and impactful educator and flutist is huge,” Holman wrote recently to Deanery staff. “Lynne is not only an extraordinary musician, but also holds a business degree and has worked at John Deere in management, as well as multi-faceted other business experiences.”

Stukart founded the Quad Cities Flute Association, and has taught at The University of Akron, Augustana, and Black Hawk College. She is a native to the QC, studied with flute legend Walter Haedrich, and “possesses a deep love of music, and belief in the power of music education,” Holman said. “Her combination of skills and personality and just everything is exactly what we need.”

“She knows the community extremely well, has an extreme business savvy, and on top of everything is super, fabulous human being,” Holman said. “I am beyond thrilled because I think it’s a game changer — because she’s got it all. She’s a go-getter; she is so dynamic.”

Stukart succeeds Anna Clift (founder and executive director of the International Cello Institute), who was briefly executive director, starting in December 2022. Clift was based in Northfield, Minn., and resigned this past May.

The first Deanery director was Rishi Wagle (who is vice president of The Deanery board), who returned to help ease the transition to a new director. Trinity Episcopal Cathedral music director (and Deanery board member) Ron May recommended Stukart first set up a flute studio with the school. Trinity is next to the school, and owns the building.

“She and I had a Zoom when I was in Vermont in June. And I was just struck by what an amazing person she was and what a great educator,” Holman said, noting she suggested Stukart consider becoming new executive director.

There currently are 10 teachers (piano, strings, winds, guitar, jazz) who have about 50 total students (ages 5 to 75). The school plans to start a student recital series, on top of its lecture series that began this past March.

Holman is especially excited to host an Oct. 7 talk by Bill and Doris Preucil, founders of the Preucil School of Music in Iowa City. “They’re both gonna talk about starting the Suzuki school in America; about Bill’s life in the Quad City Symphony and the Stradivarius Quartet.”

Bill was principal violist of the QCSO and member of the Stradivarius Quartet, and Doris was a violinist with the National Symphony and Rochester Philharmonic, author of the Suzuki Viola School, and a past president of the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

Business and music background

An Augustana College alum, Stukart earned her master’s degree in music performance from the University of Akron, where she was the Graduate Teaching Assistant to esteemed flutist George Pope. Lynne holds two bachelor’s degrees — one in music and the second in business, graduating with honors.

Among her varied experience is working for a number of Deere facilities in the area, in supply management and accounting (ending in 2013).

She has performed throughout the United States as well as in Europe. Stukart has been a winner in several competitions, including the prestigious National Flute Association Competitions. She’s been principal flute with the Akron Lyric Opera, Handel Oratorio Society, and has appeared with many orchestras, including the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Galesburg Symphony Orchestra, and QCSO.

Stukart is a motivational and dedicated teacher and has taught at various schools throughout the Midwest including The University of Akron and Augustana. Many of her students have been chosen as winners in competitions throughout the country, including All-State Honors, and invited performances at Severance Hall in Cleveland and Carnegie Hall in New York City.

In her sound healing practice, Stukart guides clients through a sound journey with various instruments, including Tibetan singing bowls, crystal singing bowls, gongs, drums, flutes, chimes and other sonic tools.

She creates space for people to have a transformative journey that is reflective, healing, and transcendent.

Stukart (who teaches about 25 students from her LeClaire home) said before teaching flute students at The Deanery, she’s spent the past two weeks talking with Holman, the board and faculty about their needs and mapping out goals.

“I really wanted, before I was signing up my own studio, I wanted to support the teachers that already have current studios there,” she said Monday, noting Wagle has been invaluable as he’s doing student teaching for his master’s in music education from the University of Iowa.

“He’s been a great resource. He’s done some incredible things for the Deanery,” Stukart said. “Rishi is an integral role of helping me get caught up. There are so many facets to running a nonprofit.”

Newly renovated building 

Stukart loves the history and ambience of The Deanery, which has undergone over $200,000 in renovations.

“It’s such a beautiful space. To me, it’s very welcoming,” she said. “The lady that lived there with her husband who was the dean of the Episcopal Chapel next door, they lived in the home until 2009 and then they moved out after that. He passed away like a year ago but she’s on the board.”

“Some really exciting things are coming and I’m looking forward to it,” Stukart said. “We’re gonna plan on a holiday concert at the Deanery that’s coming up in December and we’ve got some fundraising events that are in the works too. Then adding new teachers and growing the studios that are there and really just creating more of a conversation about the good work that we’re doing.”

She wants to support musicians and teachers in the QC area, and complement existing lesson programs – like through the QCSO, private teachers and the Sound Conservatory in downtown Rock Island.

“There’s some incredibly talented musicians in the Quad cities as you know, and one of my visions is that we’re looking for great people,” Stukart said. “If we can’t find somebody here who fits that, then then we’re willing to contact people who are willing to travel in from either Iowa City or Chicago suburbs. We have space in the building for more teachers, so that’s fabulous.”

The suites are really, they’re really beautiful – with nice big windows, lots of sunlight,” she added.

“We want to provide people with options because they’re looking for different things,” Stukart said. “There are enough students and enough teachers to go around that we don’t have to be competing with one another. We can be embracing one another and saying that’s really amazing that you’re running a program. You’re cheering each other on and being colleagues instead of enemies.”

“I love The Deanery. I love the space. And to me, that’s a huge win over teaching in maybe a really dingy building or, I don’t mind people coming into my house for lessons, but some people may not have that option,” she added. “The more options we provide the community, the healthier the community can be with its choices.”

It was fate in a way that Stukart met The Deanery.

“Hannah and I have known each other for a couple of years, but we really see so much of this the same way and we get along incredibly well and we felt like we were long lost friends that had known each other since we were little,” she said. “It’s exciting and I think that was one of the reasons why I felt so comfortable joining The Deanery is because of her personality and that we got along so well.”

The school offers scholarships for students, to make music education more accessible for students and families from low-income backgrounds. For more information, visit The Deanery website HERE.