Performers

State Solo and Ensemble Contest

This blog post is one from the archives, but it has a ton of useful information in it so I’m reposing it in honor of ISSMA State Solo and Ensemble contest this Saturday! And remember, we’re just a quick drive from North Central High School, in case the successful contest fairies decide to gift you with a new instrument. 🙂 For many students all over the state of Indiana, this Saturday is the culmination of months of hard work, practice, and dedication: ISSMA Solo and Ensemble State Finals! I want to wish my heartiest best wishes to each and every participant; I remember my time (a long time ago!) participating in this event with great fondness. I also remember that it can be confusing and chaotic, so I have gathered some helpful information to help you ease through your day as smoothly as possible. First and foremost: arrive early. ARRIVE EARLY. Did I mention…okay you get my point. North Central High School is located in a very busy, congested area on the north side of Indianapolis, and the literally thousands of participants coming to the area this Saturday will cause some major traffic headaches. Please be sure to allot at

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Feb 25, 2020 No Comments

Legends: Jean-Pierre Rampal

Last Friday, I posted a wonderful video from 1987 of Jean-Pierre Rampal playing Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 1 in G Major with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (see it here). It made me realize that while I have covered many important composers of flute music, that I have not focused nearly as much on the legends of flute performance, both past and present. So here we are! I figured who better to start with than the man who the Washington Post credited with “returning to the flute the popularity as a solo classical instrument it had not held since the 18th century.” Jean-Pierre Rampal was born in 1922 in Marseille, France, the son of flautist Joseph Rampal. Curiously, although his father was a performer and teacher of flute at the Marseille Conservatoire, his parents discouraged him from seeking a career as a musician in favor of a career in medicine. After winning first prize at the Conservatoire’s annual flute competition in 1937 at age 16, he entered medical school at the beginning of World War II. In 1943, Nazi authorities drafted him for forced labor in Germany. To avoid this, he fled to Paris, where it was easier to avoid detection

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Feb 4, 2020 No Comments

Galway Crusader Headjoint

A few weeks ago, I had the honor (or honour, as the case may be) of seeing Sir James Galway perform some of the greatest standards in flute literature at the Palladium Center for Performing Arts in Carmel. I also was fortunate enough to meet him briefly after the show. All I can say is…wow. It was a truly humbling experience to be able to listen to, and meet, the individual who helped fuel my passion for playing so many years ago, when I would listen to his albums on cassette tape–that dates me a bit, doesn’t it? From Faure’s Fantasie to Chaminade’s Concertino to traditional Irish pieces, Sir James executed every note with a tremendous attention to detail and apparent effortlessness. I think one of the things that amazed me the most was the fluidness and exactness with which his fingers moved over even the most difficult and technically demanding passages. And of course that sound…it just is unlike any other player! Galway, of course, is still an international touring sensation, but along with his wife Jeannie, they have really kindled their devotion to music education and teaching beginners how to excel with the flute. One of their projects

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Nov 12, 2019 No Comments

Sir James Galway

What an exciting day for flutists in the Indianapolis area–Sir James Galway, along with his wife, Lady Jeanne Galway, is playing at the Palladium at the Center for Performing Arts in Carmel this evening! We just received word of a very special meet-and-greet opportunity happening at 5pm sharp this evening, so if you are able, please join us and have the opportunity to meet the living legend of the flute before his concert at 7:30! Tickets for the concert are still available and can be found here. James Galway is without a doubt a household name–if anyone, musical or not, has heard of any one flute player, it is most likely him. With over 30 million recordings sold worldwide, extensive international touring, frequent television appearances, and tireless promotion of the arts and his passionate work in music education, his experience transcends any one genre or style. He has influenced everything from classical masterworks to popular commissions, and he has also appeared on movie and musical soundtracks. A native of Northern Ireland, Galway began his flute studies in Belfast. At the age of 16, he was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, followed by studies at the Guildhall

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Oct 29, 2019 No Comments
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