HELLO, 2020!

Wow, 2020! While I was busy doing X, Y, and Z, 2019 flew by, and BAM! here we are in a new decade!

There’s lots to recall but first off, a list of my upcoming activities, i.e., where I can be found in the near future:

January 31 and February 1st (Friday and Saturday afternoons) - I’ll have the privilege to give a master class and recital (Sat., 6:30pm, Cenjor 2) with flute students from the Lisbon National Conservatory—the Escola Artística de Música do Conservatório Nacional de Lisboa. The theme is how to prepare for auditions, exams and other important moments, and I look forward to sharing my experience with students from the Conservatory and other schools or teachers. The class is open to outside students, as well.

There will also be an exhibit of Powell Flutes, and some chamber music to play together! My heartfelt thanks to Professor Pérola Martins for the invitation and loads of help setting it all up!

Slightly further ahead, the weekend of February 8 and 9, I’ll be teaching a master class at the Palmela Conservatory, focussing on practice habits (i.e., how to do the most good work in the shortest time!) and integrating technical and artistic aspects of interpretation, and how to do all this while HAVING FUN! Many thanks to Professors Paulo Martins, Jorge Nunes and Margarida Quítalo for the chance to go visit Palmela (gorgeous!) and have a terrific weekend of flute-playing. Outside students also welcome!

In February I’ll also be in Paris and in Porto, but that’s another blog entry! Below, a photo of my fantastic colleagues of Musicâmara; we’ve just kicked off the new season with a program around Beethoven in stunning Vila Real, which will later travel to Cascais and Faro and elsewhere—stay tuned (got the pun?)!

Musicâmara musicians—program with Beethoven, Spohr, and Bomtempo

Musicâmara musicians—program with Beethoven, Spohr, and Bomtempo

Syrinx : XXII — back at work!

August at the beach? 'Fraid not! August finds me happily rehearsing a fantastic new program with Syrinx : XXII: António Carrilho, recorders and Raj Bhimani, piano. 

We are preparing for our return tour to India in November, taking a program of gorgeous works from four centuries, including Bach, Gluck, Schubert and Mozart, works by living Portuguese composers and the premier of a new trio by Sören Sieg, to boot!

Raj snapped this cool photo of me warming up on the bass flute for the Sieg work—a rollicking fun and beautiful trio that uses the bass flute to perfection—thank you, dear Sören, once again!

Why is the bass flute just so cool?

Why is the bass flute just so cool?

Powell Brings Philippe Bernold to Tomar

Courtesy of Powell Flutes and its parent company, Buffet Crampon, Professor Philippe Bernold, of the Paris National Conservatory, presented classes, a seminar and a recital at the Summer Flute Academy 2018, in Tomar. 

It was a unique opportunity for all present to observe his work, play for him in classes and hear him perform a stunning recital. Bernold is a Powell Artist, performing on a Handmade 18k gold Powell flute, and along with his position at the Paris Conservatoire, gives master classes worldwide, and is extremely busy as a soloist and conductor. He is also very approachable, generous, and can simplify musical and instrumental issues brilliantly.

He also fell in love with Tomar! Portugal has many "hidden" delights, and the historic city of Tomar—gastronomy included!—is definitely high up on that list! Prof. Bernold—au revoir! See you again soon!

Philippe Bernold in recital with pianist Jonathan Ayerst, at the Summer Flute Academy, Tomar

Philippe Bernold in recital with pianist Jonathan Ayerst, at the Summer Flute Academy, Tomar

Coming up for air / Bravo Maria and Simão!

Oops, I've been so busy I haven't been blogging…but time to get back on the saddle, because there is a lot to write about!

To start off, just a sweet photo of two ESART students, Maria Paixão (entering 3rd year) and Simão Francisco (completed Masters in Teaching in 2017), together in Tomar. As Simão was Maria's teacher, at the Canto Firme School of Music, where he is Professor of Flute and also the Director (!), you can sense in the photo the special connection between students and teachers, and a love for music that is what makes me enjoy teaching so much. 

Shortly after this photo was taken, Maria won 1st Prize in the "Sons de Cabral" competition in Belmonte, and Simão was busy directing the flute ensemble and helping organize the 6th Summer Flute Academy in Tomar—congratulations for two jobs extremely well done!

ESART in Tomar—Maria Paixão and Simão Francisco

ESART in Tomar—Maria Paixão and Simão Francisco