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William Kincaid (1895–1967) was an influential American flutist and a prominent flute teacher in the 20th century. Born in Minneapolis and raised in Honolulu, he developed breath control skills as a child by diving for pennies, which later benefited his music career. Kincaid moved to New York in 1911, where he enrolled at the Institute of Musical Art and studied flute, graduating from both institutions in 1914 and 1918. He performed as a soloist with the New York Symphony from 1914 to 1919 and briefly served in the U.S. Navy during World War I. In 1920, he was a soloist with the New York Chamber Music Society. In April 1921, after the departure of a soloist during rehearsal, Kincaid was offered the position of principal flutist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, a role he held for an impressive four decades until his retirement in 1960. Kincaid joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 1928, where he taught for his entire career and earned the title of the 'grandfather of American flute school' due to his significant contributions to modern orchestral playing in the U.S. He mentored many distinguished artists throughout his life. Kincaid played a unique and likely the most expensive flute in the world, crafted from solid platinum with silver French-style open-hole keys. The head joint featured a Trylon & Perisphere logo,

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