When patrons attend a Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra concert at Bass Performance Hall, they frequently hear flute solos take center stage.
What concertgoers don’t know is that the two players leading these woodwind concertos are siblings — a rare sight in the classical music world.
Brothers Jake and Gabriel “Gabe” Fridkis are the principal and assistant principal flutists for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the first all-sibling principal section in a major symphony wind section, according to Flute Center.
While it is not unusual for families to play instruments together, it is uncommon for siblings to secure roles in the same professional orchestra due to the competitive audition process.
“I think we’re super lucky that we ended up together in Fort Worth,” Jake said. “It’s very unlikely that something like this worked out.”
The brothers also make up the Flute Bros Instagram account, which has amassed nearly 10,000 followers since its launch in 2018. The social media page features dozens of rehearsal videos and “Star Wars” memes for what the duo describe as a niche audience interested in seeing a flute compared to a lightsaber.
Robert Spano, music director and conductor for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, said it is astonishing to have two “virtuoso flutists” in one family.
“We’re so fortunate to have such a dynamic duo at the FWSO,” Spano said in a statement.
Gabe Fridkis, left, and brother Jake pose with their flutes in the lobby of Bass Performance Hall on April 24, 2026. (David Moreno | Fort Worth Report)
Jake, 36, and Gabe, 33, were born and raised in a musical household in New Jersey. Their father was a jazz pianist and their older sister was a vocalist who wrote her own tunes. Each of the Fridkis brothers began learning to play the flute at age 6.
Gabe joked that he only picked up the wind instrument to be like his brother after quitting violin.
“At 6 years old, I was just like I’ll do what my brother does, right?” he said. “That seemed like a cool thing.”
The Flute Bros spent a large amount of their childhoods competing in local competitions and performing in youth orchestras. By the time Jake was 15, he decided to pursue a career as a flutist — a decision he jokingly said he still questions two decades later.
“When you’re kids growing up in it, it just becomes part of your identity and music tends to become an easy path to follow,” he said.
Jake went on to study at the Cleveland Institute of Music before pursuing his master’s degree at the Yale School of Music. He spent years performing with the Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra and the South Dakota Symphony as well as guest principal flute with the Dallas Symphony.
Gabe’s journey as a professional flutist wasn’t as direct as his older brother’s, he said. He initially went to American University in Washington, D.C., and bounced between majors before switching into the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College in New York. He later served as the principal flute in the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra.
In 2015, Jake auditioned and secured his principal role at the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra after hearing about the group’s good standing nationally, he said. Gabe won his Fort Worth spot as assistant principal three years later.
The brothers laugh when they reflect on their joint arrival to Cowtown since it was never their plan. Each sibling auditioned for several orchestras across the U.S. but just happened to get a call back for the same ensemble, Gabe explained.
Every time the Flute Bros take center stage at a concert at Bass Hall, the siblings feel like they synchronize in a way only possible because of their familial relationship. The duo’s favorite orchestral work to perform has been French composer Maurice Ravel’s “Daphnis and Chloé” since it featured a memorable flute duet that’s fun to harmonize, Jake said.
But like most families, the Fridkis brothers experience their fair share of good fun competitiveness from time to time. Still, the siblings said they always keep the jokes light and focus on working together to create the most graceful sound they can for Fort Worth audiences.
“It’s not like we’re versus anyone,” Gabe said. “We push each other to be better.”
David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports.
The Fort Worth Report’s arts and culture coverage is supported in part by the Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation and the Virginia Hobbs Charitable Trust. At the Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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