Serenade Duo

The award-winning ensemble Serenade Duo featuring flutist Michelle LaPorte and guitarist Gerry Saulter share music of the world with their warm stage presence and engaging performances of diverse repertoire. Through innovative and culturally varied programming, the Duo is dedicated to making music accessible and enjoyable for audiences across the globe.

As performers, educators, and world chamber music advocates, Serenade Duo has toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and Canada. They are concert and recording artists for Centaur Records, Alhambra Guitars, Miyazawa Flutes, Royal Classic Strings, and Fishman Music. 

As Artists International Distinguished Chamber Music Award Recipients, the Duo has performed concerts at Carnegie Hall and Merkin Concert Hall in New York City. Serenade Duo has also performed with many arts organizations, music societies, festivals, museums, libraries, and educational institutions throughout the world. 

Featured performances include: American Church in Paris, United States and New Zealand Embassies in Paris, International Schools of Paris and Ireland, American Cathedral in Paris, St. Lawrence Jewry-Guild Hall London, St. John’s Church Stratford, St. Ann’s Church Dublin, Toronto Latin American Flute Festival, Puerto Rico Flute Symposium, Cosmo Music Festival, Music Mondays Series at Toronto Holy Trinity Church, Washington DC Church of the Epiphany Concert Series, University of Rhode Island Guitar Festival, FTC Fall Festival of Guitar, Heckscher Museum of Art, Usdan Center for the Creative & Performing Arts, Wang Center, Custer Observatory, and Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico. In addition, the Duo has been heard on WHSU Public Radio and has appeared on television with PBS/WLIW, News 12 Long Island, FiOS 1, and KCTU Kansas. 

Serenade Duo has received five Distinguished Chamber Music Awards from Artists International, a New York Council of the Arts Special Opportunity Grant, a Suffolk County Certificate of Appreciation for Diverse Community Programs, and they are three-time Finalists of The American Prize in Professional Chamber Music. Serenade Duo is currently an ensemble member of Chamber Music America.

MICHELLE LAPORTE, flute

Michelle LaPorte is an acclaimed Miyazawa Flutes Performing Artist, Centaur Recording Artist, and flutist/founding member of the award-winning flute and guitar ensemble, Serenade Duo.

Michelle LaPorte is currently an Adjunct Faculty member at Suffolk County Community College teaching flute, music history and music theory. In addition, she is the Flute Lead Teacher at Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts. For twenty years, she served as Associate Professor and the Coordinator of Woodwind Studies at Five Towns College, New York. Professor LaPorte has also been an Applied Flute Instructor for Columbia University Teachers College. For her commitment to higher education Professor LaPorte has been honored several times in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. As an advocate for bringing all of the arts together, for many years she held the position of Coordinator of Music at The Heckscher Museum of Art, organizing concerts that connected to the museum's exhibitions. 

Michelle LaPorte earned a Master of Arts Degree in Music from Long Island University and has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Performance from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Ms. LaPorte is currently a member of the National Flute Association, Chamber Music America, and the Flute New Music Consortium. 

GERRY SAULTER, guitar

Gerry Saulter is a renowned Alhambra Guitars Performing Artist, Centaur Recording Artist, and guitarist/founding member of the award-winning flute and guitar ensemble, Serenade Duo. Mr. Saulter is an endorsed artist with Fishman Music and is also recognized as a Royal Classic Strings Artist, playing RC Strings exclusively on all of his instruments.

Gerry Saulter is presently an Applied Instructor of Classical Guitar at Suffolk County Community College and the Guitar Lead Teacher at Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts. Professor Saulter served as the Deputy Director of the Music Division, as well as the Director of Applied Music at Five Towns College, New York for over twenty years. He was also the Founder/Artistic Director of the Annual Fall Festival of Guitar at Five Towns College. As a result of his dedication to higher learning, Mr. Saulter was inducted into the teacher’s National Honor Society, Phi Sigma Eta.

Gerry Saulter holds a Masters of Music Degree in Performance from Five Towns College, as well as a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Performance from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and an Associates Degree from Nassau College. Mr. Saulter is currently a member of the Guitar Foundation of America and has been published in the organization’s magazine, Soundboard. In addition, he was a contributing writer for 20th Century Guitar Magazine with a monthly column entitled The Classical Corner.