My favorite piece to perform is Apparition and Release by Michael Oliva (www.michaeloliva.net). It was the first piece he wrote for me in a collaboration which has since lasted for well over 10 years. The piece is for Kingma system alto flute and electronics, and I still think it’s one of the most well-written alto flute pieces out there. Michael seems to have an instinctive sense of how to compose for the instrument, and he captures the soul of it. It’s a very emotional piece to perform, and has everything in it; expression, technical challenges, and a wonderful electronic part. We’ve performed it over fifty times now, I think, and every time it seems to come to life in a new way. That’s the sign of a great piece! Carla Rees - London, England
I go in cycles. And like choosing what to wear in the morning, my favorite piece to perform depends on my mood :)
I go in cycles. And like choosing what to wear in the morning, my favorite piece to perform depends on my mood :)
Viviana Guzman - San Francisco, CA
Hard to say just one, but I do think Copland’s Duo for flute and piano is one of the most delightful works for flute by an American composer. I love the many moods of the piece and how effective it is with audiences. The opening notes are so simple yet powerful -- I think of being alone on a Western prairie with the sun just rising – it is beautiful. Then the restrained yet deep emotional poignancy in the second movement, followed with the lively “cowboys having a rip-roaring good time” in the third movement. Altogether a wonderful American piece full of rhythmic play.
Kathryn Master - Sarasota, FL
Favorite piece to perform: Syrinx, for it's simple freedoms.
Mercedes Smith - Houston, TX
