Charles Wyatt, principal flutist with the Nashville Symphony for twenty-five years and noted author of fiction and poetry, passed away Aug. 6 at the age of 78.
Wyatt earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and a Masters of Music Degree from the Philadelphia Musical Academy. Wyatt played operas in Philadelphia, did a tour of duty with the Marine Corps Band in Washington D.C., played New Music in Buffalo and NYC, and then began a long career as the principal flutist of the Nashville Symphony and the Peninsula Music Festival.
In 1991 he earned his MFA in Fiction Writing from Warren Wilson College and subsequently published his first collection, Listening to Mozart. He went on to serve as a visiting fiction writer at Binghamton University, Denison University, the University of Central Oklahoma, Purdue University, and Oberlin College. He also taught online courses for the UCLA Writing Program and in the low residency MFA Program at the University of Nebraska – Omaha. He authored several collections of short fiction and three books of poetry.
He is survived by two sons, Peter (Yvonne) and Alexander (Courtney), two grandchildren, Declan and Cecily, and his wife, Cindy.
A memorial service will be held at Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home on August 16 at 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School.
