flute, piccolo, alto flute, bass flute, glissando flute

Upcoming Performances

Outsound New Music Summit

I’ll be part of Vinny Golia’s 80-piece ensemble, Octacontagon, during this amazing multi-day event.
Sunday, August 2, 2026
7pm, doors open
8pm, performance
Berkeley Finnish Hall
1970 Chestnut Street
Berkeley, CA
details and tickets here
QL returns to Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

Thursday, October 8, 2026
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Free!

Spend your lunch hour with us at this beautiful outdoor, family-friendly series in downtown San Francisco. Bring a picnic!

Yerba Buena Gardens
Mission Street (bet 3rd & 4th Streets)
San Francisco, CA
details here
recent performances

The Bay Area’s Opera Cultura presents ¡Chicanísima!, Carla Lucero's brilliant one-act opera (commissioned by QL) about political activist Olga Talamante.
Jun 27, 2026
MACLA
San Jose
Garden of Memory Concert performance with Lisa Mezzacappa,‍ ‍Jason Levis, Monica Scott and ‍Kyle Bruckmann
Saturday, June 21
Chapel of the Chimes
Oakland
sfSoundGroup
Music of Satie, Polansky & Ingalls
May 31, 2026
Dresher Ensemble Studio

Current Projects

Glissando Project

Here’s an excerpt from the premiere of my composition Gliss for two Glissando flutes on May 24, 2026 performed by Meerenai Shim and me.

The Glissando flute is a normal orchestral flute with Robert Dick’s invention, the “Glissando Headjoint®,” inspired by the electric guitar’s “whammy bar.”

For the Glissando Project I’m commissioning six of my Bay Area composer/improviser colleagues to create short pieces for Glissando flute. These pieces will be premiered by me later in 2026. Stay tuned!

Quinteto Latino

Quinteto Latino, founded in 2004 by French horn player Armando Castellano, is a dynamic wind quintet dedicated to showcasing Latino compositions and engaging diverse communities through music. The ensemble performs classical works culturally relevant to Latino communities and advocates for Latino composers through commissioning and performances. Alongside Castellano, the quintet consists of Diane Grubbe (flute), Kyle Bruckmann (oboe), Leslie Tagorda (clarinet), and Jamael Smith (bassoon).

Learn More about Quinteto Latino

sfSoundGroup

The latest music of the European Avant-Garde to the grittiest sounds of the West Coast Improv-Underground, encompassing iconic and recent trends. “Bravely carrying the visionary torch of the Bay Area's rich experimental musical heritage”

Learn More about sfSoundGroup

About Diane

Diane Grubbe is a regular performer in the San Francisco Bay Area in a variety of musical genres. She performs regularly with Pocket Opera and has also appeared with the Stockton Symphony, Symphony Silicon Valley, Lamplighters, Festival Opera, and many others. She is a founding member of Quinteto Latino, a wind quintet focusing on contemporary music from Latin America and Latino-Americans. With a special interest in contemporary music and new performance techniques on flute, piccolo, alto and bass flutes, Diane enjoys improvising as well as studying and performing new works. She is a member of the contemporary music ensemble sfSound, and has been a guest performer with Earplay, the Eco Ensemble, Santa Cruz New Music Works, and the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players.

Diane holds a Master of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory where she studied with Lloyd Gowen and Tim Day. Her Bachelor of Music degree is from San Francisco State University where her flute instructor was Paul Renzi. Other important instructors have been Barbara Chaffe and Jim Walker of the San Francisco Ballet and Opera Orchestras as well as famed flutist/composer/innovater Robert Dick. She has performed in masterclasses with Julius Baker, Heinz Holliger and Robert Stallman.

Contact Diane