Flute Unscripted

Nico Duchamp has made it his mission to carry on the French flute tradition. The French flutist, performer, and educator believes we owe quite a lot to the composers of the Paris Conservatory test pieces, the nuance of the language and its influence on articulation, and the overall refined French style.  

Andrea Fisher, also known as Fluterscooter, has followed her many interests over the years no matter how far off the beaten path they may be. The Juilliard trained flutist and Powell artist came by the Flute Center to give a talk on entrepreneurship and reveal some of the ins and outs of starting your own business, including making contacts, networking, and funding your own ideas.

Valerie Coleman was creative long before learning how to play the flute. At a young age, she started to write music down and began writing symphonies by the time she was 11. Since then, Valerie Coleman has established her career as the flutist and resident composer of the wind quintet, Imani Winds. Valerie shared with me more about collaboration, composition, and the next phase in her career.

Seth Morris is the newly appointed Co-Principal Flute of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Seth’s passion for opera and ballet music has afforded him a depth of knowledge that came in handy at his audition for the Principal Flute position at the MET. I was fascinated to learn more from Seth about how the day he won his dream job went and his plans for the future.

Amy Porter was a perfect choice for our live episode. She admits she is most comfortable being center stage and star of the show, one of the many reasons she ultimately left her position with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and pursued a solo career. Amy graciously answered questions and let us pick her brain about all things performance, career, and personal life related.

He is one of the most famous and recognizable names in jazz flute. Nestor Torres has released 14 albums as a soloist, has been a featured flutist at a number of jazz festivals and orchestral concerts, and collaborated with other notable artists such as Herbie Hancock, Paquito D’Rivera, Dave Matthews, and Gloria Estefan. Nestor Torres brings the precision and excellence of classical training (along...

Martha Aarons hopped off a plane at JFK, jetted over to the Flute Center of New York to try some head joints, and graciously agreed to sit down with me for a quick talk. She was as easy to work with as I imagine she was with her longtime colleagues in the Cleveland Orchestra, where she maintained a position for 25 years. She reminisced with me and also shared her current plans to explore another s...

Brandon George is a Powell Artist that has performed around the world as a soloist and chamber musician, but he currently calls Brooklyn his home. With a full and varied freelance career, Brandon has performed regularly at some iconic New York venues such as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Bargemusic in Brooklyn, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Brandon has his own advice for flutists starting...

You may have first heard today’s guest on Youtube. She is perhaps most known for starting the flute at just 3 years old and having a large collection of impressive recordings online as a young child. Since then, Emma has been working hard. She graduated from Curtis, has given a number of solo performances with the National Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, and Pittsburgh Symphony,...

Marco Granados strikes me as an open-minded and curious flutist, exploring all there is to do with the flute, including performing an array of genres in a variety of venues. He had his debut at Carnegie Hall, a performance with Placido Domingo at Gracie Mansion, a stint on Broadway, and even played gigs in the subway. But, perhaps Marco is most well known for his focus on Venezuelan music. He grew...

Althea Rene is a Soul-Jazz flutist and recording artist that has made a living playing her music, her way. And while she exudes confidence and is completely at ease performing for an audience of any size, it wasn’t always that way for Althea. In her book, “Becoming Chocolate Barbie: A Guide for Professional Women in the Music Business,” Althea talks about the struggles of having a full time job ou...

Gareth launched his professional career after his studies at the Guildhall School of Music. He was appointed Principal Flute of the Bournemouth Symphony at 23 and later joined the London Symphony Orchestra as Principal in 2000. He has been with the LSO ever since. As a way to connect with family, friends, and fans back home, Gareth started writing and launched a blog on his website. There, he shar...

Known as the man with the golden flute, James Galway has had a career that is groundbreaking and legendary. He has not only achieved the feat of winning one of the most sought-after positions of Principal Flute in the Berlin Philharmonic and toured as a soloist, he has also successfully branched out as a crossover artist. Sir James has sold over 30 million albums and is comfortable with any genre...

Jean Ferrandis is a true musician and he views the flute as his tool. An international soloist, collaborator, clinician, and conductor, his musical expression is truly authentic and from the heart. Jean aims to inspire his audience and his students at the University of Southern California, Fullerton. I had the pleasure of getting to know Jean before his masterclass at the Powell showroom here in N...

Nicola Mazzanti considers himself to be an advocate for the piccolo as a solo voice. He holds the position of Piccolo in the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, a seat he has held since 1988, and performs as an orchestral musician, chamber musician, and soloist around the world. In 2014, Mazzanti published his method book for piccolo entitled, “The Mazzanti Method”. The method is a guide for...

Canadian flutist, Dr. Conor Nelson, began his studies on the flute not quite sure of where it would lead him. He followed his passion nonetheless and made the journey into a coveted tenure-track teaching position look effortless. He has appeared as soloist with major orchestras, given masterclasses across the country at over 100 institutions, and is Associate Professor of Flute at Bowling Green St...

International soloist and chamber musician Stefan Hoskuldsson was most recently appointed as Principal Flute of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2015. We here in New York got to know him best for his stellar performances as principal flute with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra from 2008-2015. He got his start in Iceland, studied in England, and thereafter started working at the Flute Center of Ne...

By following her curiosity and intuition, Emi Ferguson has made a name for herself as a modern flutist, baroque flutist, composer, arranger, producer, researcher, and vocalist. In her interview with me, Ms. Ferguson shares that she refuses to take no for an answer and will do whatever it takes to see a project through to the end. That approach has served her well. Her impressive career includes wi...

Our guest today does it all. Emily Beynon is the Principal Flutist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. She has appeared as a soloist with the Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Orchestras, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (amongst others) and has performed with chamber groups such the Nash Ensemble and the Brodsky Quartet. Ms. Beynon is also a versatile recording artist. Her albums span...

Seemingly out of nowhere, Demarre McGill has quickly become the next “it” flutist. A recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, Demarre has dominated the audition circuit, holding Principal positions with the Florida Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, and Dallas Symphony. Demarre has also been Acting Principal Flute at the Pittsburg Symphony and...

Carol Wincenc is an artist that needs no introduction. She is an iconic flutist and her name is synonymous with graceful and powerful musicianship. In addition to her decades of accomplishments, awards, and accolades, Ms. Wincenc has released a number of recordings that are revered as the authority on execution and artistry. Her natural talent and other’s recognition of her gifts launched her from...

Learn more about your Flute Unscripted host and Resident Flutist at Flute Center of New York, Caity Massoud.