Flute Instrument

Well I choose Flute as my favorite instrument. But unfortunately it is nowhere mentioned that who actually discover Flute, but we have lot more information about the history of flute. Thousands of years ago it was found in the cave in Northern France with unknown number of holes. It was carved with bones. Those flutes were used during the hunting and magic rituals. As mentioned on the internet that the first flute which can be hold sideways was created in China.

But before that Egyptians had flute. Though flute was made of bones but then we had wooden flutes, bamboo flutes. There were several ways to hold the flute you could hold left or right side and even hold it straight like a recorder. Flutes were played by hunters, shepherds, musicians in festive occasions and from the 13th century on also by soldiers. And these flutes are still played all over the world. After 1670 the flute became more poplar and was made of three pieces now.

Famous Performers: There are several famous performers, but I pick only couple of them. Robert Aitken

Flutist-Composer-Conductor
http://www.robertaitkenflutist.com/

Robert Aitken studied flute with Nicolas Fiore in Toronto and became principal flute of the Vancouver and was the youngest principal in that orchestra’s history. He studied electronic music with Myron Shaeffer and composition with John Weinzweig at University of Toronto and he served second flute of C.B.C Symphony Orchestra. He was one of the 12 instrumentalists invited by Pierre Boulez to present a solo recital at IRCAM (Paris) in 1977.

He also taught flute during 1960-75 at University of Toronto, 1972-82 at the Shawnigan Summer School of the Arts (British Columbia) and in 1981 founded “Music at Shawnigan”, He used to conduct new music concerts and in 1987 he conducted the first performance of Schafer’s “Patria I” for the Canadian Opera Company. For that performance he got critical comment on his incredible variety of dynamics and timbres. Aitken is one of Canada’s outstanding composers. He also traveled in East Asia like other composers and has been influenced by the contact non-Western musical cultures.

Jeanne Baxtresser

Jeanne Baxtresser started playing flute at the age of nine and she was love with it. She plays as a solo flutist for 15 years at New York Philharmonic. She started her career at the age of 14 with Minnesota Orchestra. She started her professional career immediately after her graduation from Juilliard School. She was appointed as a principal Flute of the Toronto Symphony as was invited to New York Philharmonic by Music Director Zubin Mehta. She was a soloist player and for more than 50 occasions she has been featured as a soloist across North America and Europe. William Bennett

http://www.williambennettflute.com/
http://www.williambennettflute.com/bio.html

Famous composers:

Robert Aitken
Flutist-Composer-Conductor
http://www.robertaitkenflutist.com/
As already mentioned above about Robert Aitken.
Johann Joachim Quantz (1697-1773)

Flutist, composer, flute maker, teacher of Frederick the Great of Prussia, author of an influential method book on musical performance (1752). http://www.flutehistory.com/Players/Johann_Joachim_Quantz/index.php3 Quantz was one of the finest flute professional during 18th century. He has a proficiency to play all the instruments but he specializes in flute in 1719. He traveled mostly all over for his education but he then returned to Dresden. He spends most of his time in King of Prussia until his death where he composes, perform and make flute for king. Quantz have more than 300 collections of concertos and lots of sonatas, even some of them have never been published.

As said that Quantz working for Frederick the Great and the flutes which were made by Quantz Frederick used to give those as a gift to families and they are still preserved in the museums of Germany, the US, and the Japan. Because of his book his name was still remembered in 19th century because of his association with Frederick the Great of Prussia, considered by many at that time as the founder of the German state.

Famous Orchestras:
http://www.gramophone.co.uk/editorial/the-world’s-greatest-orchestras http://www.philorch.org

According to report Philadelphia orchestra is considered one of the big five American Orchestras. It was formed in 1990 by Fritz Scheelite. They perform at white house in 1906 it was an Exclusive concert. It looks so great that how these orchestras are formed with small groups to large groups. Whereas Gramophone, are one of the famous orchestras and presents world’s greatest orchestra. Few of them were Czech Philharmonic, Saito Kinen orchestra, Metropolitan opera orchestra.