A Gold Star for… Young People!

On one of my favorite podcasts, the co-hosts trade turns giving—to themselves or others—”Gold Stars” and “Demerits”, which range from silly things like emptying the dishwasher (Gold Star!) to serious things, like reading your iPhone instead of paying attention to a child (“Demerit”!).

So today, as we near the end of this long and strange school year, I’d like to award a GOLD STAR to the many Young People in my life who are doing exceptional things. It’s easy to say they (not us, no, not us, never!) spend too much time glued to YouTube and so forth, but the evidence is otherwise. These kids are pulling off a lot of serious work, under enormous pressure—from family and societal expectations, academic pressure, a shaky economic outlook, and, of course, a … pandemic.

In my own life, I see this up-close and personal with my 12th grade daughter, working furiously to finish high school well under the oddest conditions, looking forward to college (hoping to not start college on Zoom in her bedroom…), but still finding time to participate in a peaceful protest here in Lisbon last weekend. The word “commitment” comes to mind.

Likewise, the constellation of my students, prospective students, and many other flutists I’ve met briefly in classes, shows me the power of this generation to PERSIST, to keep on working, striving, improving, (while waiting for a live concert like us all), and yet, remaining profoundly humane to each other at the same time. I look forward to being able to greet and hear them IN PERSON before too long.

In the meantime, everyone is “making do” (“desenrascar” in Portuguese, a great word) using Skype, Zoom, and recordings, in spite of the limitations and imperfections involved. A huge thank you to you all, along with the GOLD STAR, for your dedication, effort, and good cheer!

Poster for our 8th and last recital of the year at ESART (a Zoom event, naturally)

Tune in to WXXI - Syrinx : XXII and Sieg's "Inside Kampala" - re-broadcast

With concerts suspended due to the Coronavirus, Rochester’s “Live at Hochstein” series is in a holding pattern, Radio WXXI have chosen to re-broadcast concerts from the series at the usual hour, including part of Syrinx : XXII’s concert there in October, 2019.

Between 12 and 1 pm (ET; 17-18h in Lisbon) on Wednesday, April 29, the longest work from our program, Sören Sieg’s “Inside Kampala” will be aired. The piece is in three movements: “Boda-Boda” (which means rickshaw), a wild ride, indeed; “Beautiful”, which lives up to its name; and “Too Hot!”, full of spicy, jazzy moves. “Inside Kampala” was commissioned by Syrinx : XXII (António Carrilho, recorders, Raj Bhimani, piano, and myself on flutes) and was premiered while on tour in India in 2018, at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Bombay.

Thanks so much to everyone at Radio WXXI in Rochester, and Mona Seghatoleslami, the fantastic host.

The link to Radio "WXXI Rochester and the broadcast is here. Look for the “Classical 91.5” arrow near the upper left corner of the screen. THANKS for listening, and ENJOY!

Mementos from a wonderful tour & performances

Doriot Anthony Dwyer, in memoriam (1922-2020)

How sad to report that one of the brighs test stars of the flute universe has passed away at age 98—the wonderful and unique Doriot Anthony Dwyer, retired Principal Flute of the Boston Symphony.

I had the great honor and pleasure to work with the inimitable Doriot at Tanglewood many years ago, as well as in a few illuminating private lessons, and a red-carpet-rolled-out visit to the Powell Factory in Boston, where she helped me pick out the flute that, 27 years later, I still love and play.

Aside from my personal connection, she was a force to reckon with, musically and personally. A direct descendant of the American suffragette Susan B. Anthony, she too broke barriers, namely in winning (and holding for 38 years) a Principal position in a major U.S. orchestra. At that time, 1952, there were few women in the top orchestras, and none in a Principal position. Doriot (“DOH-ree-oh”) earned her job after preparing, she told me, “as if it were for a doctoral dissertation”, memorising the entire list and basically blowing away the competition.

As flutist of the B.S.O. she recorded innumerable works in recordings that are now considered recordings of reference. Her style of playing was uniquely vibrant, flexible, expressive and extremely powerful. The last time I heard her perform—the Concerto written for her by Ellen Taafe Zwillich, at an N.F.A. convention in Boston, AFTER her retirement—she walked onstage, last on a program of flute concertos, wearing a bright-pink, floor-length gown (she was actually tiny), planted her feet firmly, and…projected the hugest sound I ever heard into the entire hall. 

(Do you even have to ask? Yes, she was a Powell Artist—performing on a Custom Platinum Powell.) What a woman, what a flutist, what a musician!

Indeed, her comment to a journalist after retiring from the B.S.O. was “now that I’m retired, I finally have time to practice!” And to record chamber music and concerto CDs, and to continue teaching.

She was fierce, in the best possible way, and she will be missed, but always remembered. Thank you, Doriot, for breaking through an important glass ceiling, and for all the artistry of your playing, for so many, many years. Now, finally, dear Doriot, rest in peace.

The young Doriot Anthony; photo courtesy of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Recording for a pop album! (Who, me?)

Back in October, I got a chance to do something “out of the box”, at least for me: record some flute-y bits for a pop music song, with Edgar Pinto—aka “Eddie”. He has an amazing studio kitted out, and we had a blast doing the session.

I felt like I returned to my Los Angeles roots—hey, I was born in STUDIO CITY, can you believe that? Probably the flute I used also did, since it’s the same (Powell) as what you will often hear on movies and TV sound tracks—that haunting alto flute sound.

This Thursday around 9am, the “Tempo” will be officially launched via SIC TV station, so check it out! The vibe is totally Brazilian and the perfect way to smooth yourself into a new day!

Here’s a composite photo from the session—can’t wait for the next one! Thanks, Eddie, and great song!

Composite photos by Eddie for his new song, “Tempo” - launch is Thursday, Jan. 30th on SIC TV

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

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?