Evening Gala Concerts
   Each night at 8 pm world-class flutists perform at the Belk Theater. Thursday features early music with traverso virtuoso Rachel Brown and the Dorian Consort. Works include J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg No. 5, Orchestra Suite No. 2 in B Minor and the A minor Partita and sonatas by Quantz.
   After the concert head back to the Westin to attend the Spiral of Sound: The Healing Art of Music presented by Candace Keach or join Jamie Baum and her jazz quartet as they perform a diverse selection of jazz standards sprinkled with a few surprises. 
Friday evening do not miss the World Music Gala Concert that highlights the convention theme: Unity Through Diversity: Many Flutists, One World with performances by Omar Faruk Tekbilek, a Middle Eastern Music specialist who plays an array of classical, folk, Arabic and Egyptian music and Grammy Award winner Rhonda Larson.
   After the Gala listen to Nelson Rangell, known primarily for contemporary/pop and smooth jazz music, perform at the Late Nite Jazz at the Westin or enjoy an Irish Session with Mithril. Irish flutists should bring their flutes to play along.
The Concerto Gala on Saturday is conducted by Bruno Ferrandis and opens with Mike Wofford’s specially commissioned Tapestry 39 for strings, followed by the Professional Flute Choir and the Jazz Flute Big Band. Jean Ferrandis, Holly Hofmann, Christina Jennings, Marina Piccinini, and Carol Wincenc will perform concertos by Gordeli, Foss, Uebayshi, Schnyder, and Jobim. After the concert, enjoy Late Nite Jazz with the NFA Jazz Flute Big Band. Ali Ryerson, Roger Neumann, and Bryan Kennard lead winners of the NFA Jazz Flute big Band Competition in a performance with special guest appearances by Holly Hofmann and Madeline Vergari (aka Madeline Neumann, NFA Convention Director).

Competitions
   The NFA sponsors 15 competitions and four scholarships to select outstanding flutists to perform at conventions. There are five competitions for soloists, five masterclass competitions, and five competitions to perform in flute choirs and jazz big bands. The final round of the High School Soloist competition begins on Thursday at 9 am with finalists performing a newly commissioned work, Telemann Fantasia No. 2 in A Minor and the Dutilleux Sonatine. On Friday observe the Young Artist Competition Semi-finals at 9 am with the finals on Sunday at 12:30. Required competition repertoire includes works by La Montaine, Paganini, Offermans, Piston, C.P.E. Bach and a newly commissioned work.
   On Friday at 10 am, Jean Ferrandis instructs performers chosen in the Masterclass Performers Competition. The winners perform music by Bozza and Copland. Paul Edmund-Davies teaches the Orchestral Audition Masterclass on Saturday at 10 am concentrating on excerpts by Beethoven, Hindemith, Mahler, and Ravel. Bring your music to jot down ideas for performing these works. Other competition winners will play in classes led by Rachel Brown, Jamie Baum, and Paula Robison.  
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Composers and Scholars
   Composer spotlights include recitals of works by Jean Michel Damase, Cynthia Folio, Jennifer Higdon, Katherine Hoover and Joan Tower. Nancy Toff offers a look at Emil Medicus and The Flutist magazine Friday at 1:30 pm. Peter Westbrook presents Apollo and Dionysius: The Lyre and the Flute, and Michelle Cheramy discuss the Performers Analytic Toolbox. Karen Moratz, author of Flute for Dummies, discusses her new book Friday at 12 pm. Moratz suggests bringing your flute to try out new ideas. The Graduate Research Competition awards two prizes for outstanding DMA/PhD dissertations. On Thursday at 10 am, the two winners discuss their work or stop by the NFA office to view these prize-winning dissertations when you have a free moment.

For Teachers and Performers
   A treasure of lectures/demonstrations and participatory sessions are scheduled throughout each day of the convention. The topics cover a variety of topics relating to teaching and performing. Jennifer Keeney presents an experiential class on practicing and performing with “recipes” to increase awareness, direction, focus and freedom. Bill Westney asks “How Can a Wrong Note Be Perfect.” Patricia George’s interactive masterclass focuses on “Power Practicing: Blink and Fast Forward.” Bring your flutes and a copy of the Sigfrid Karg-Elert 30 Caprices.
   Na’ama Lion presents ideas on the three main styles of ornamentation in the late Baroque. Bring your flute or traverso to participate. If you have never played the Baroque flute, but would like to learn, Barbara Hopkins, Boaz Berney, Linda Pereksta, Na’ama Lion, Nancy Schneeloch-Bingham and Wendy Rolfe will provide flutes and instruction in “Getting Started On the Baroque flute.”
   Francesca Arnone and Sandra Schwartz present “Resonant Tone Quality for Flutists and Vocalists.” You will leave with a sampling of vocal, breathing and light movement exercises to incorporate into your playing and teaching. Trevor Wye’s “Practicing Efficiently: Scales and Daily Exercises” or “Old Wine in New Bottles” is followed by Melissa Colgin Abeln’s ideas for the memory challenged (The Memory Map 3.0). Michelle Cheramy introduces flutists to recent discoveries in how the brain reacts to and processes musical sound. Debra Youngblood offers suggestions on how to make your studio an excuse-free zone in “Escaping the Excuse Trap.” There are several offerings each day to address health issues. Topics include Breathing (Lea Pearson), Breast Cancer and the Flute, Practical Injury Prevention and Management, Yoga classes, Resistance Training, and Ears to You (Stephen Mitchell, MD).

Sessions for Amateur Flutists
   Bradley Garner and Claudia Anderson will each teach an open masterclass for amateur flutists. Bring music (piano part too) and a flute and volunteer to play for these master teachers. Patricia Harper offers “Flute Tips for Amateurs” and Lisa Ann Fahlstrom addresses the topics for adults returning to music and flute playing after a hiatus.

World Flutes and Music
   In keeping with the convention program theme, of unity through diversity,  there are presentations on Baroque flutes, Simple System flutes, and Native American Flutes. Music from around the world will be performed by Adrianne Greenbaum (klezmer music), the fife and drums of Colonial Williamsburg, World Flutes of Boston with Wendy Rolfe, the Simon Bolivar ensemble, and John Wubbenhorst, (bansuri flute, playing North Indian Ragas). Also featured are flutists from Honduras, Argentina, and Portugal.

Flute Choirs
   Flute choir offerings include reading sessions of new music and daily concerts presented by flute choirs from across the globe in the Lobby, Showcase series and Pre-Gala Concerts. The High School, Collegiate, and Professional Flute Choirs are conducted by Rebecca Meador, Roger Martin, and Carlo Jans. For those preferring low flutes, check out “Down Deep with Low Flutes” led by Marion Garver Fredrickson and Paige Dashner Long. They provide practical approaches to artistic performance on low flutes in an ensemble. Italy’s premier flute ensemble, Joueurs de Flute, performs on Saturday, 1:45 pm in the Convention Center.  

Career Workshop
   The NFA Career and Artistic Development committee offers its 2nd annual mini-conference, Represent Yourself on Friday and Saturday mornings 8 am-10 am. Flutists Eva Amsler, Stephanie Jutt, Ellen Johnson and Laura Lentz lead six participants in You on the Page, You in Pictures, You in Your Work and You Learning from Others. This event is designed to help flutists bring their wildest project ideas to fruition.         

Wednesday Preconvention Events
Flute Orchestra Rehearsal
   Arrive early on Wednesday afternoon to participate in the NFA Queen City Flute Orchestra rehearsal at 4 pm. This 600-member flute orchestra will open the convention with a concert Thursday morning. Participation is open to all, so pick your favorite flute (piccolo, C flute, alto, bass, contra, sub-contra) and pre-register for the event. Shelly Binder and Amy Blumenthal will conduct. 

First Time Attendees
   Wednesday evening at 7 pm Sandy Saathoff hosts an orientation to offer tips on how to make the most of your first convention. On Thursday evening, all convention participants are invited to the Myrna Brown Society and Amateur Mixer. The Myrna Brown Society was established to carry on the spirit of friendliness that was begun in the early years of the NFA under the direction of its first Secretary/Treasurer, Myrna Brown. All are invited to meet for dinner before the evening concert. Individuals pay for their own meals. This dinner offers the opportunity for newcomers and amateur flutists to meet other flutists in a social setting.

Volunteers
   Volunteers are always wanted to assist in the many tasks that make the convention run smoothly. From stage setup, turning pages for pianists and ushering, there is always something to be done. If you are interested in volunteering, attend the instructional Volunteer Coordinator’s Meeting on Wednesday at 6 pm.

Youth Flute Day

Saturday, August 13, 8:30 am – 5 pm
Register: www.nfaonline.org
Fee: $50 (includes T-shirt)

Schedule
9:30 am: Warm-up with Rebecca Simonfalvi
10 am: Tour the exhibits with Rebecca Simonfalvi
10:45 am: Visit the High School Flute Choir Rehearsal
11:15 am: Pied Piper Flute Choir Rehearsal with Atarah ben-Tovim or
11:15 am: Walk Like This Flute Choir Rehearsal with Wendy Stern
12:30 pm: Flute Choirs Concert
1 pm: Lunch at the Exhibits
2 pm: Breakout Sessions
3:30 pm: Inspiring the Next Generation with Zachary Kellogg and Emma Resmini
4 pm: The Next Generation Masterclass with Paul Edmund-Davies

Where to Eat
Reservations Required

Friday: 11:30 am Flute Lovers Lunch with Paula Robison
Friday: 6 pm Lifetime Member and Donor’s Reception Honoring NFA Founder Mark Thomas’s 80th Birthday
Saturday: 8 am Pedagogy Breakfast with Brooks de Wetter-Smith
Saturday: 5:30 pm Lifetime Achievement and National Service Awards Reception and Gala Dinner honoring Katherine Borst Jones, Carol Wincenc, and Trevor Wye

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is nicknamed: the “Queen City” after German Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg who had become Queen consort of British King George III. The population is 731,424, and it is the 17th largest U.S. City. It is a financial center and is second in banking after New York City.

What to See:
•    The Green, a beautiful park across across the street from the Convention Center showcasing contemporary art.
•    NoDa (short for North Davidson) Charlotte’s Historic Art District
•    Charlotte Museum of History
•    Mint Museum of Art
•    Levine Museum of the New South
•    Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
•    Discovery Place (not just for kids)
•    Carowind Amusement Park
•    Billy Graham Library
•    U.S. National Whitewater Center
•    NASCAR Hall of Fame

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   In 1945 at the end of World War II, I was 10 years old and living with my family in Burgundy where the conditions were not as harsh as in Paris. From time to time we had house guests including Jan Merry, an excellent semi-professional flutist, who  gave me lessons. 
   Merry was a close friend of French composers Andre Jolivet and Charles Koechlin. In fact, he was the creator of the original editions of Jolivet’s Cinq Incantations for flute alone and Charles Koechlin’s Chants de Nectaire, a set of 96 pieces for flute alone. During one of my lessons, Koechlin showed up. He looked like a Greek prophet with a shepherd’s cape and a long beard. He very kindly wrote some nice words on my copy of his Sonata for two flutes, something I still treasure today. 
   About ten years later, Maurice Marechal (a famed cellist of the time who premiered Debussy’s Sonata for Cello and Piano in D Minor, 1915) came to visit and insisted I play something for him. I was working on the Fauré Fantaisie, Op. 79. I played it for him, and he told my parents I should try for the Paris Conservatoire, where he taught. At his suggestion, I made an appointment with his colleague and friend, Maître Gaston Crunelle and  trembled in my shoes as I proceeded to it. I had doubts that I was good enough, and after the audition that is exactly what Crunelle told me. When he learned that I was working from the Altès Méthode, he approved. When he realized that I had never practiced any structured set of scales, however, he assigned me to learn by memory the Exercice N°4 from the Taffanel & Gaubert 17 Daily Exercises for Flute – all the major and minor scales, that I teach to this day. As we all know this is the alpha and omega of flute playing.
   Crunelle had specific instructions about how the Exercice No. 4 should be practiced. The regimen encompassed: all slurred, all single tongued,  all double tongued, repeated duplets on each note, and repeated triplets on each note. Many varieties of articulation, including those found in exercises by Patricia George and Molly Barth as well as my Scale Game, were worked into this exercise. I am still surprised when I hear young players tackle the biggies of the repertoire, especially here in North America, while being incapable of playing the scales relevant to the work at hand.
   During the audition, Crunelle did not want to hear much else, and above all no Bach or Mozart. He was often criticized in his teaching for this, notably by Rampal, but his opinion was that “20th century pieces take hours of practice; Bach and Mozart take years.” He said that very often, and so do I. Consequently, his repertoire assignments to me for the two years I studied privately with him were basically the French Conservatoire pieces (Fauré, Chaminade, Enesco, Ganne, Gaubert, and Taffanel) that are found in the Schirmer collection Flute Music by French Composers, edited by Louis Moyse. In addition, he assigned the Georges Hüe Fantasie and Alfredo Casella Sicilienne et Burlesque, inexplicably absent from this collection. The Conservatoire pieces, which are sometimes looked down upon as high school works or as being not worth the paper they are printed on by many, were in Crunelle’s opinion and mine, the perfect tool to learn the flute and music. The pieces are short in duration, lasting an average of six minutes. They offer melodic passages for phrasing, tone study and nuance and passages in high and low ranges. They also offer opportunities to practice attacks, slurring, staccato, cadenzas and of course technique; and all of this is within the time frame of a weekly lesson. Try to do that with one of the big works by Bach, Mozart, Prokofiev, or Schubert.
   When I was accepted to his class, it was the happiest day of my life. The Conservatoire was free (it still is), and the admission, for that reason, was highly competitive. You had to attend every class, three times a week, and receive your lesson in front of your peers. The standard structure for the lesson was scales, exercises from the Taffanel & Gaubert 17 Daily Exercises for flute, an etude and a piece. The repertoire he selected was mostly the Conservatoire pieces that had been dedicated to him: Dutilleux Sonatine, Sancan Sonatine, Bozza Agrestide, Jolivet Chant de Linos, Messiaen Le Merle Noir, Gallois-Montbrun Divertissement and Concertinos by Tomasi and Boutry. This policy did not please students who thought that only masterpieces were worthy of their care.
   Monsieur Crunelle had a science of teaching whereby he would bring any player, taken early enough, to the maximum of what he could do. He worked as hard with the less gifted as with the brilliant ones like Nicolet, Larrieu, Rampal, and Galway. Gaston, as everyone called him, except his students, was exactly my father’s age. He was born in 1898 and died in 1990. He studied with Philippe Gaubert at the Conser-vatoire. I always knew him as a modest and amiable, if demanding, gentleman. He had no ambition as a soloist. I do not think he ever traveled outside of Europe and contented himself with excellent orchestra playing, namely being Principal in the Opéra Comique, where Marcel Moyse had played before him. Being a good musician in those days of silent movies was a gold mine that involved sightreading tons of music for the great movie houses. Gaston would say: “Nothing is impossible to read; just don’t stop!” It is true that most technical problems are just badly read.
   Monsieur Crunelle was active in chamber music, with the Quintette Instrumental Pierre Jamet, where he replaced René LeRoy in 1940 when the latter fled to America. It was during the occupation (1940-1944) that Crunelle was appointed Professor at the Conservatoire. The circumstance of his nomination has been the subject of various more or less accurate accounts. Since its founding around 1800, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique had only one professor and one class of twelve students for each wind instrument. In 1940 Moyse was the flute professor. However, in 1941 he refused to return to his job in occupied Paris and failed to inform the Conservatoire of his decision. He was not in the Resistance, but might have had concerns because of his Jewish-sounding name. He did come back surreptitiously a few times to play for the German radio. His position at the Conservatoire was declared vacant in absentia, and Crunelle was appointed.
   Moyse did not have many friends in Paris. As Canadian flutist Robert Aitken says, “He shot from the hip.” When Moyse came back to Paris at the end of the Occupation, he was told that there was no legal reason to fire Crunelle for his sake. He sued the school, and after many years won a Judgment of Salomon. He would again have a class, but it would disappear when the last student had graduated. Moyse waited for the official notification, and then left in the middle of the school year with his whole family for Argentina. When that fell through, he continued on to Brattleboro, Vermont.
   Oblivious to all these sordid events, Crunelle characteristically encouraged me to go study with Moyse. This was the type of man he was. For sixty years I have had an affectionate admiration for Gaston Crunelle.
  
   Documents and the picture of Crunelle for this article were graciously made available by Denis Verroust, President of the Association Jean-Pierre Rampal. This organization is the living memory of Rampal, publishing many of his performances, live or radio-recorded, as well as CDs of 78 rpms of Gaston Crunelle playing Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto (with Pierre Jamet, harp) and the Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp, among others.

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    I first attended the Pittsburgh convention in 1974. It was NFAs third convention and my first presentation at any convention. I gave a lecture-demonstration on the relatively new field of extended techniques.
   The early conventions were much smaller with perhaps 400-500 attendees in Pittsburgh and few events overlapped. Mostly one presentation or concert took place at a time. Most of the performers were the principal flutists from the major American orchestras. As a young musician not long out of graduate school, it was great to hear so many top players. There was much fine instrumental work, but strong, dramatic expression was in shorter supply. It also became very clear that one gets good at what one does. Flutists who sounded marvelous in the orchestra found that solo recitals did not always bring their best qualities to the fore. Endurance was a noticeable issue because solo playing does not provide the rests that orchestral playing does. That said, I also found myself transported by beautiful performances.
   The music performed at the early conventions was pretty much drawn from the standard repertoire. It did not take very many years, though, for this to change, setting the stage for the incredible variety of repertoire performed at conventions today.
Being at one of the first conventions gave me the feeling of being in on the ground floor of something great. The energy, dedication and camaraderie of the flutists were infectious. Compared to the competitive environment I had experienced in school, music camps and masterclasses, it was an absolute revelation to see flutists cooperating, cheering for each other, and giving unstinting mutual support.
   There was quite a bit of skepticism about new music and new sonorities and techniques back in the 1970s. Making my first presentation, I had no idea of what to expect. Would anyone show up? Would they laugh at me? Walk out? It is no understatement to say I was nervous from head to toe. I quickly learned something very important about flutists and musicians in general. If you have something to say, and say it in a respectful way, they will listen. After my presentation, there were many compliments on my playing and speaking. I had not attacked traditional music or playing, but rather had shown a new path for growth, and most of the hundred plus flutists at the presentation understood the message.
   Having now attended over twenty-five NFA conventions as well as others around the world, I have seen how the flute world has grown wonderfully in all kinds of directions. Our musical lives are by far the richer for it. Authentic Baroque performance practice, world music, jazz, rock, new music, beatbox fluting, you name it; we have got it. Our performance standard some thirty-six years past the first Pittsburgh convention is incredibly higher today. Our embrace of flutists from around the world has been to the benefit of all.
   In turn for all the great things the NFA has done for me, I have served the NFA in many capacities, as a Board of Directors member (twice), as the first chair of the New Music Advisory Committee, which chooses composers to commission, and as a member of several other committees. To those who might think “they’ll never want to pay attention to my views,” let me say the NFA is truly the “big tent” that other organizations claim to be. You are welcome and you belong.

Robert Dick is known internationally as a flute soloist, composer, author and inventor.  He’s been recognized as a composer with a Guggenheim Fellowship and many grant’s and commissions, including three from the National Flute Association: “Lookout” for the High School Soloist competition, “everyone@universe.existence” for the Young Artists competition, and “Gravity’s Ghost” for the piccolo competition.  Dick is the creator of the Glissando Headjoint®, the “whammy bar” for the flute.  He teaches at NYU and the City University of New York Graduate Center as well as privately and over the internet.  BA, Yale; MM Yale.  Please visit and

Atlanta, 1976

by Katherine Borst Jones

   In 1976, I attended the NFA’s fourth convention in Atlanta, Georgia. I was a young teacher just getting started, teaching privately and with a few students at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. I was also newly married. As I was waiting in line at hotel registration, old friends and teachers greeted me as Katherine Borst. However, proud of my new last name, I had pre-registered at the hotel as Katherine Jones. The hotel clerk and I quickly discovered there were several Katherine Jones at the hotel, so we added Borst to my registration card. To prevent confusion, from then on I was known as Katherine Borst Jones in the flute world.
   The early conventions were much smaller than they are today. I remember studying the program book trying to decide between attending one of two events and visiting the exhibits. As you make plans, be sure to include time for meals and lengthy visits to the exhibit hall.
   That first convention provided the opportunity to speak to instrument makers and try multitudes of flutes (I grew up in the era where you ordered a flute from one of two companies, took what was sent, and played that flute for  years.) I enjoyed meeting new people from different places. It takes courage to speak to a stranger in the elevator or someone seated next to you in a concert, but meeting colleagues and sharing ideas is one of the most important aspects of a convention.
   On the last evening, we were packed into a room as Samuel Baron, the NFA president that year, presented a lifetime membership to Emil Medicus, the legendary flutist, arranger and author (The Flutist magazine). I was so inspired hearing Baron and Medicus speak. Later in the hallway, I saw Samuel Baron alone, summoned my courage, and said, “If ever there is anything I can do for the NFA, I hope you will let me know.” From that moment, I understood the importance of the organization and contemplated how I could become involved. Ten years later, I was nominated for Secretary/Treasurer and eventually served as President for two terms. The NFA always needs committed volunteers. If you are interested, speak to the Vice-Chair or any member of the Board of Directors. If I can be involved, so can you. It will change and enhance your life in many ways. I made lifetime friends with common goals and interests. It was worth every penny and minute spent.

Katherine Borst Jones is Professor of Flute at The Ohio State University, winner of both Distinguished Teacher Distinguished Scholar Awards, thefounder of the OSU High School Flute Workshop and the OSU Flute Troupe. She is a founding member and co-principal flutist of the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, the trio, COSMOS, a member of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and Principal flute of the New Sousa Band. She has served the NFA as President twice and was the 1992 Convention Program Chair.

Los Angeles, 1992

by Maria Ramey

   My very first flute convention was a musical whirlwind, a dream-like experience filled with amazing concerts, outdoor flute choir performances, giant flutes and glass elevators. I had just turned 12 years old, and my friend Debbie and I had recently acquired our first B-foot, open-hole flutes after a company brought an exhibit to our hometown. The company, impressed with our talent, invited us to perform in their dealer showcase at the convention.
   I was the oldest of four children being raised by a single mother. Funds were scarce. I had spent hundreds of hours selling candy and doing odd jobs to pay for my new flute and now a company was paying my convention costs. Debbie’s mom agreed to chaperone us. We stayed in a small hotel near the convention, and I used groceries from home to make sandwiches so I did not have to purchase food at the convention.
   Each morning we woke up early, eager to get to the convention. There were so many concerts to see, flutes to play and new discoveries to make. One morning we attended part of the young artist competition rounds, and I was floored by the technical mastery and vibrant performances I heard there. It was both inspiring and a little daunting because I had only been playing for three years.
   The convention hotel was a magical place to us with endless maze-like hallways, flute players everywhere you turned and a fascinating gift shop; but the best part was the glass elevators, located on the outside wall of the building. Debbie and I begged her mother every day to let us ride the 30 floors up and down, again and again, so we could marvel at the big-city scenery. The whole experience at the convention was one big adventure.
   For the showcase I played Faure’s Sicilienne. I was so excited that I was not nervous at all. The room was small with a low ceiling but also elegant and filled with friendly flutists.
   Two young men from Germany who had performed a duet on the showcase concert complimented me on my performance. Their words and kindness made a lasting impression on me. One asked whether we played duets together and gave us the duet book they had performed from, complete with their personal markings. I still have the music in my library.
   After the showcase performance was over, we visited the exhibit hall. I will never forget the jaw-dropping moment when I saw a contrabass flute. I was thrilled when I was given reluctant permission to try it, but my excitement quickly turned to disappointment when I discovered I was not tall enough to play it. I also tried to play a Shakuhachi flute and could not produce a sound. I tried every flute and piccolo, stocked up on freebies, collected catalogs, and vowed to come back when I was tall enough to play that contrabass flute.
   We were also invited to perform with the professional flute choir, where we felt both honored and overwhelmed as the youngest members of the group. We premiered some music by Katherine Hoover. She was the first woman composer I had met and I was quite impressed. The performance was outdoors under a canopy, with a light, cool breeze keeping the heat at bay and fluttering our music just enough to keep things exciting.

Maria Ramey is a professional flutist in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. She is principal and solo alto with the Song of the Angels Flute Orchestra, Piccoloist for the Culver City, Marina Del Rey and Peninsula Symphonies and is also a board certified music therapist, working with adults with developmental disabilities and psychiatric illnesses.

Los Angeles, 1992

by Phyllis Avidan Louke

   I attended my first NFA convention in 1992 in Los Angeles. I had resumed playing the flute two years earlier, after an eight-year absence that started with the birth of my first child. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but tagged along with two flute friends.
The Los Angeles convention was a much larger event than the Greater Portland Flute Society’s Flute Fair. The convention program listing all the events and bios was the size of a catalog. The exhibit hall filled the entire basement of the Bonaventure Hotel with tables and tables of flutes to try. There was also an incredible assortment of music and accessories for sale. As I walked through the exhibit hall, my flute bag got heavier and heavier as I added catalogs and bought more and more music. Having just started arranging and composing for flute choir in 1991, I was thrilled to see several of the exhibitors selling my music.
   The many choices of activities each day made me feel like a kid in a candy store. There were morning warm-ups, concerts and workshops. Attending workshops plus five or more concerts a day made me long to play my flute. I wanted to be a participant instead of a spectator. My desire to play my flute was somewhat satisfied by attending a Flute Choir Reading Session, where I was surprised and delighted to find my arrangement of Hopak in the folder of pieces to be read. One of my roommates was performing with the Professional Flute Choir, so I attended her performance. I was so impressed that I decided to audition for the group the next year.
   My desire to take a more active role at the NFA Convention has led me headlong into the wonderful world of flute choirs. I have now performed with the Professional Flute Choir (PFC) on bass or contrabass flute every year since 1993. Through this association, I have made many friends who share an interest in flute choirs, and have also received encouragement and inspiration for my composing. This association has opened many professional opportunities for me.
   I would encourage you to attend the NFA convention this August. Start the convention early on Wednesday afternoon by participating in the Queen City Flute Orchestra and later in the Flute Choir Reading Sessions. Next year plan to audition for the professional flute choir. These activities give you the opportunity to make new friends and play with some incredible musicians.

Phyllis Avidan Louke is a private teacher, freelance flutist and composer in Portland, Oregon. She has co-authored several pedagogical publications with Patricia George: Flute 101: Mastering the Basics, Flute 102: Mastering the Basics, Flute 102: Solo Repertoire, and The Flute Scale Book: A Path to Artistry.

 
Columbus, 2000

by Sandy Saathoff

   I remember the apprehension I felt when I sent in the registration for my first convention; I did not know anyone who was going, and it was a stretch financially for me to attend. The decision to attend was spurred by an invitation to meet with Liz Goodwin and become involved in a Flutewise project. Looking back, it was a blessing to have this contact pre-planned. Liz generously took me under her wing and introduced me to people. I could not have anticipated the scale or breadth of the program offerings, the treasures of the exhibit hall, or the value of the convention program book.
   The convention itself was outstanding, with a steady parade of captivating performances and workshops. I was delighted to discover how easily flutists from various backgrounds talked with one another, and was quite surprised to see my own city of Sammamish, Washington on someone else’s nametag on the elevator.
   It had been ten years since I was part of the flute world (due to a nerve disorder in my arm), and the convention offered an exceptional opportunity to dive back in. I returned home with enthusiasm and became more involved in the Seattle Flute Society, first as newsletter editor, then vice-president/program chair, and president. It was fun to incorporate my favorite experiences from NFA conventions into our local flute scene. I also discovered new repertoire gems to use with my private students and flute choirs.
   Nothing prepared me, however, for a phone call I received in 2008. Leonard Garrison (then Vice-chair of the NFA Board of Directors) called to ask if I would run for the NFA Secretary. As Assistant Secretary in 2009 and Secretary in 2010, conventions became the work center for the Board of Directors. Meetings began before the convention and continued through the convention days. Evenings were spent preparing documents and minutes for the next day. This experience introduced me to a diverse, interesting group of people.
   I will work with Program Chair Zart Dombourian-Eby in planning the 40th Anniversary convention in Las Vegas. If it will be your first time attending a convention, please come visit me during the “Orientation for First-Time Convention Attendees” which I will be leading on Wednesday, August 10 from 7-8 pm in the Convention Center.”

Sandra Saathoff teaches privately and is a clinician in the Seattle area. She performs with local orchestral, chamber and Scotch/Irish folk ensembles, and directs the flute program of the Bellevue Youth Symphony. She is an adjunct professor of flute at Seattle Pacific University, and has served on the executive boards for the National Flute Association, Seattle Flute Society and Flutewise USA.

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   Maxim Rubtsov is the Principal Flutist of the Russian National Orchestra and an exceptionally talented flutist and musician. He is an amazing performer who commands the audience’s attention from the moment he walks on stage. He brings life and energy to every performance and shares his rare ability to create images, colors, and seamless melodies. Walfrid Kujala described Rubtsov as one who possesses “the stage presence of Jean-Pierre Rampal from his eyebrows to his feet.” He utilizes his entire body to portray music, and his animated facial expressions add meaning and interest to his performances.

Childhood
   Maxim Rubtsov was born in 1977 to a musical family in Bryansk, Russia. His mother teaches piano, his father enjoys singing, and his sister plays the accordion. An aunt, who is also a pianist, became his favorite accompanist. He remarks that “she is more famous than me in Bryansk.” Rubtsov began formal music training with piano lessons at age five and also played recorder and learned traditional Russian songs. “I began piano lessons with my mother and aunt. At age seven, I started learning the piccolo. I was not serious about it at that time; it was just for fun.” As a boy, Rubtsov often participated in the common Russian family activity of gathering berries and mushrooms in the forest. “My parents took me to the forest to learn the right kinds of mushrooms to pick and eat. I usually took my flute and played it in the forest to enjoy the natural acoustics. I enjoy finding great acoustics everywhere I go.” This love of nature was nurtured by his first flute teacher, Victor Safkin. “He took me fishing and taught me to love the sounds and silences of nature. He encouraged my interest in music and the flute.”

The Road to Moscow
   The next step in Rubtsov’s musical journey came through a family friend. “My aunt asked a friend who was a composer to listen to my playing when I was 15. He encouraged me to travel to Moscow and play for the professors there.” So Rubtsov, accompanied by his aunt, went to Moscow and performed for the clarinet professor at the Gnesin Academy of Music. In a serendipitous turn of events, Rubtsov and his Aunt Inna met the flute professor, Nikolai Ivanovich Kondrashov, on a staircase in the Academy. “My Aunt Inna told Kondrashov that we had come from Bryansk to audition. His response was somewhat disappointing. He said, ‘I really prefer girls because boys are so lazy.’ I later came to realize that I was a little lazy at that time and needed to work harder.
“However, Kondrashov accepted me after the audition in which I performed Russian music and the Mozart Concerto in G Major. I remember that I had an exceptionally great sound that day.” Rubtsov was nervous to leave his family and move to Moscow on his own. “It was a big change for my family, and I was forced to be responsible for myself as a teenager.”
   A well-known teacher who played professionally for over thirty years, Kondrashov added to Rubtsov’s already keen interest in the flute. Rubtsov fondly recalls that “he was a kind teacher, who never lost his temper and encouraged my love of music no matter how many times he had to repeat himself during lessons. He even invited me to his home for meals.
   “I studied at the Gnesin Academy from ages 15 to 19. As my interest in the flute grew, I became much more disciplined, practicing four to five hours a day.” There were many opportunities in Moscow, including concerts and masterclasses. “I attended masterclasses presented by Yuri Dolzhikov, one of the best-known flute teachers in Moscow. Dolzhikov taught at the Moscow Conservatory and was the only Russian flutist allowed to study at the Paris Conservatory with Jean-Pierre Rampal in the 1970s. He became an important connection between Russian flute students and the great French masters. Dolzhikov was a very talented performer and teacher with an energetic personality. He invited me to sit for the entrance exam at the Moscow Conservatory. This was unexpected because most Gnesin Academy students continued their studies at the Gnesin Conservatory.  When he accepted me in his studio, it was clear what he wanted from my playing and there were no deviations!” Rubtsov studied with Dolzhikov for five years.

The Russian National Orchestra
   Rubtsov was accepted to the Russian National Orchestra during his third year at the Moscow Conservatory. “I auditioned for the RNO playing the Romberg Concerto, Fauré Fantasie, a Mozart Concerto, and orchestral excerpts. The audition occurred in front of the conductor and the artistic council that was made up of the principal players in the orchestra. It was very unusual for someone from outside Moscow to earn a place in the orchestra so quickly.” Rubtsov’s first rehearsal with the orchestra amazed him. “I remember the first time I played in the middle of the Russian National Orchestra with the sounds of strings and brass all around. Those first sounds inside a really great orchestra were a new experience for me. That was more than ten years ago, yet the feeling is still  within me now. I felt a sense of great excitement and mystery and knew I did not ever want to disappoint my orchestra colleagues. Despite years of music education, including three years of conducting classes and some years playing in the Gnesin Academy Wind Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow State Conservatory, I was not prepared for serious orchestra work. I knew how to play, but I suddenly started to listen to music. The acoustics in the hall and the orchestra sound were amazing. I realized that I should connect with the other woodwinds for good intonation and with other sections of the orchestra to feel the music’s phrases, to catch the exact moment of attack, and to capture the character and color of my part in the orchestral sound. This is why I can say without hesitation that the RNO and its founding conductor Mikhail Pletnev played a significant role in my musical education. Pletnev is a musical genius, and perhaps the best conductor I know who interprets music for his orchestra. He often opens up new meanings we never considered.”
   The RNO invites guest conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Kent Nagano, and Vladimir Jurowski as well as renowned soloists to perform as part of the regular season. “We perform wide-ranging symphonic repertoire as well as many musical genres that are outside the traditional symphonic literature including opera, ballet, jazz, and contemporary works. We record often, and recording sessions are intense all-night affairs that last several days. We travel all over the world to festivals and on concert tours.”

Chamber Music
   Rubtsov is a founding member of the Russian National Orchestra Wind Quintet. “I had not played in a chamber ensemble prior to my time in the RNO. I was invited by two other orchestra members to form a wind quintet. We were a crazy team – our personalities are as different as the colors of our instruments. We rehearsed in dorm rooms without heat or any awful ugly place we could find and dissolved the ugliness with our music. It just came pouring out of our souls. We absolutely love playing together. Our ensemble took the top prize in the 2005 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition performing Edison Denisov’s Wind Quintet from 1969. Anatoly Liadov’s Eight Russian Songs and Samuel Barber’s Summer Music are among my favorite chamber pieces.” 

Teaching
   “Despite a very busy schedule with the orchestra, I teach at the Moscow Special Music School #61. The school is named for Vladimir Stasov who was an important cultural critic of Russian music and art in the late nineteenth century. I instruct five students age nine through twelve, and meet with each of them privately three times a week for one-hour flute lessons. In our special music schools, pupils have daily instruction in solfeggio and piano in addition to their regular lessons in reading and math. I attended this type of school in my childhood. Some of the most popular music for Russian flute students are Nikolai Ivanovich Platonov’s flute method book and his Variations on the Theme of Red Sarafan. Yuri Dolzhikov and Vladimir Tsybin’s works are also commonly used for instruction as well as transcriptions of Paganini’s themes. I find it difficult to give my students what my first teacher gave to me. What is the purpose of playing the flute? I try to convey this purpose through my instruction. Teaching helps me understand how children think, learn, and react.

Children’s Concerts
   In 2004 Rubtsov performed the Russian premiere of John Corigliano’s Pied Piper Fantasy with the Bolshoi Theatre and conductor Alexander Vednerikov. “Corigliano attended the production and was very kind in his comments about the performance. Our production featured ten children, ages six through fourteen, playing flutes, piccolos, recorders, and drums. They began playing in the audience and gradually moved around the concert hall before coming onto the stage.”
   After other experiences working with children, Rubtsov created a children’s program with his hometown orchestra, the Bryansk Philharmonic. “The program featured pieces from the Russian Suite of Yuri Dolzhikov, my teacher. The Suite includes simple, beautiful works like the Waltz-Joke, Lullaby, Polka, and my favorite Romance Nostalgia. The Suite is not widely known outside Russia. I also performed Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee.”
   Rubtsov is also involved with music for children in Moscow. “In the Russian National Orchestra, we have a program called the Magic of Music. We perform these children’s programs in Russia and on tour. The RNO Wind Quintet has performed Peter and the Wolf and a new composition called Wolf Tracks as part of the program for children in Europe, Asia, and the United States. As a special feature, we performed these works at New York’s Columbia Children’s Hospital with a live wolf.”
   In September 2010, Rubtsov performed at the University of Alabama RISE School, which is designed to help young children with a range of physical and mental disabilities. “I performed for approximately ninety students age two through five. The music therapists on staff teach songs and sign language in weekly lessons. The children welcomed me by marching into the auditorium to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 while waving Russian and American flags. Music therapist Dawn Sandel and I performed the Lullaby movement from Dolzhikov’s Suite on guitar and flute. I played Flight of the Bumblebee with a bumblebee finger puppet, and the students sang a different bumblebee song with lots of buzzing noises. The concert ended with a shower of balloons raining down from the ceiling. I learned so much about music therapy that I am considering making a new CD for children.”

Interpretation
   “I frequently ask students, ‘What do you imagine when you are playing this music?’ Answers are unpredictable and any answer is acceptable. Many times students answer nothing, or they appear not ever to have thought about the intention of the composer or their intention as a musician. I want them to think about what idea they could give to an audience. I find it harder to infuse meaning into contemporary than romantic music. I explain that it is similar to seeing a movie after reading a novel. It is never the same because you have created pictures in your mind about the characters and places. Imagine the score is a work of great literature. You read with emphasis and feeling, pausing for dramatic effect. You are an actor interpreting the text. The audience in a darkened theater depends on you to understand the meaning of the words. You are the interpreter of the author’s message. A young player can learn notes and develop a good technique of flute playing. They can learn from teachers and recordings by famous flutists and even copy or memorize them. However, more than that, students should have an idea of what they want to say. In Peter and the Wolf, for example, the flute is supposed to be a bird. What kind of bird? My bird may not be the same as your bird. It could be a red or blue bird. The box of flute colors has many nuances. This is why we love music. The notes are written, but the sounds are never the same when different players interpret them.”

Dance and Movement
   Rubtsov integrates movement and dance into his performances whenever possible. He had formal dance training from age seven. “My teacher was a retired professional ballerina, and dancing was for exercise and free time after school. As I became more serious about dance, I performed with a dance team that afforded me the opportunity to travel around Europe. I sometimes played Russian songs on a piccolo backstage at performances  to entertain the audience between dances. I stopped my formal dance training when I moved to Moscow to study music at the Gnesin Academy.” 
   Many years later, he returned to his dance roots and incorporated movement into his flute performances. “Even though I began to play the flute when I was quite young and I love it passionately, I am still and always a dancer. I interpret music with my whole body.” His feeling of freedom and relaxation while playing allows him to explore greater possibilities in tone color and dynamic contrast. “I do not find it possible to stand still. When I was a student, I was often told to sit still or stand straight with my flute. My body language caused me a lot of trouble. Only now do I have the freedom to move the way I so much enjoy. Of course I tell my pupils in the beginning it is necessary to stand straight and find the right method of breathing. Only later can they copy my mannerisms, if that proves to be natural to them as it is for me.”
   Rubtsov works with dancers and choreographers in Russia and the United States. “I especially like contemporary workshops where the dancers respond to my music, and I respond to their movements. We move about the stage together without a plan – just feeling the music and each other.”

Favorite Music
   Rubtsov’s solo performances include many different pieces. “I love the Poulenc Sonata, especially the second movement. I also love playing the Bach sonatas with organ because the flute is like one of the pipes of the organ, but with more possible subtle changes. Similarly, I hold a fondness for Moonyeen Albrecht’s flute and organ music, which I often include in my concerts.” The music of Shostakovich is also very important to Rubtsov. “To play Shostakovich symphonies is something extremely Russian. I have a great passion for the flute solos in his music. The third movement of his 5th Symphony is a special challenge. After the harp entrance, the flute should sound like ice crystals, very quiet, without vibrato, and without emotion. His symphonic music often reflects themes of war, tragedy, and death because he lived in constant fear of arrest during the censorship of Stalin’s time. One night I was listening to the RNO recording of his 6th Symphony while driving on roads without lane markers or lighting. It had a chilling effect on me. In playing his music, I have come to understand a lot about myself and my history.” 
   Rubtsov also enjoys studying jazz music. “The first concert I played with the RNO, even before I had officially joined the orchestra, was with Dave Brubeck. The composition, To Hope!, was for jazz quartet, orchestra, chorus, and soloists. The project was made into a documentary film. Then some years later the RNO Wind Quintet performed with the Brubeck Brothers Quartet. Recently, I had the pleasure to perform again with Dave Brubeck’s sons Chris and Dan in a concert tribute to Dave. We played the Claude Bolling Suite for Flute and Jazz Trio. I would like to have more time to develop a good jazz improvisation technique, but it is not easy. You have to take some risks – maybe like rollerblading. I go fast, but there is a fear of falling. I can feel the music, but I cannot bend my classical training to the level of freedom that is needed for the best jazz performance. Still, I like to try and feel that I learn something new each time.”

Future Projects
   Rubtsov will premier a new composition for flute by Russian composer Rashid Kalimullin, and he is working on arrangements of several concertos by Vladimir Tsybin. His solo CD Maxim Rubtsov, Russian Romance will be released in 2011. He enjoys bringing attention to Russian music and composers that are not well known outside the country. He will also be performing a concert at the 2011 NFA Convention.             

Photos courtesy of  Olga Konyayeva/Russian Life and RISE School and Univ. of Alabama, OIT Multimedia Services.          

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