February 3
Wind-Song
Sidney Lanier (1842-1881)
Born on this day in 1842 in Macon, Georgia, Sidney Lanier was a writer and flutist who was interested in the relationship between music, poetry, and nature. More well-known for his poetry, he was a professor of literature at Johns Hopkins University. Lanier wrote Wind-Song in 1874 for an audition with conductor Leopold Damrosch in New York City. This piece effectively displays the many facets of virtuoso flute-playing in a short, one-movement format, ideal for an audition setting.
Olivia Abernathy, flute 
February 9
Pan
Harald Genzmer (1909- 2007)
German composer Harald Genzmer was born on this day in 1909. A student of Paul Hindemith, he was especially interested in composing for amateurs and children. His music is known for its expressive character and fine craftsmanship.
Jennifer Parker-Harley, flute
February 15
III. Elegia from Flute Concerto
Christopher Rouse (1949-2019)
Christopher Rouse was born on this day in 1949. He was the winner of many important awards, including the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Trombone Concerto. The Concerto for Flute was written in 1993 and was premiered by Carol Wincenc as soloist. It is informed by his interest and affinity for Celtic (particularly) Irish music and Rouse cited the popular singer Enya as a strong influence on the tempo and mood of the slow movements. The concerto is in five movements, the odd-numbered ones being extremely slow in tempo and the second and fourth movements being quite fast and virtuosic. Rouse describes the third movement as such:
In a world of daily horrors too numerous and enormous to comprehend en masse, it seems that only isolated, individual tragedies serve to sensitize us to the potential harm man can do to his fellow. For me, one such instance was the abduction and brutal murder of the two-year old English lad James Bulger at the hands of a pair of ten-year old boys. I followed this case closely during the time I was composing my concerto and was unable to shake the horror of these events from my mind. The central movement of this work is an elegy dedicated to James Bulger's memory, a small token of remembrance for a life senselessly and cruelly snuffed out.
February 19
Caprice from Four Pieces for Flute Alone
Jindrich Feld (1925-2007)
Czech composer Jindrich Feld was born on this day in 1925. His compositions number over two hundred, spanning a wide range of genres including chamber music, symphonies, a cantata, and a children’s opera. His works for flute include a concerto written for Jean-Pierre Rampal, a sonata, and the Four Pieces for Flute Alone. The titles of the Four Pieces are as follows: Méditation, Caprice, Intermède (Hommage à Bartók), and Burlesque.
Jennifer Parker-Harley, fluteFebruary 20
Pearls
Zoltán Gyӧngyӧssy (1958- 2011)
Born on this day in 1958, Zoltán Gyӧngyӧssy was a Hungarian flutist, composer and teacher who died tragically in a car accident in 2011. His set of pieces, Pearls, was written for his closest friends. Each Pearl is dedicated to a specific person, and is meant to embody their singular style and personality. Movement 6 is written for prepared flute: half of a cork is inserted into the head joint to modify and enhance the sound.
Stacey Russell, flute
February 21
I. Moderato from Suite for flute and PIano. Op. 34
Charles-Marie widor (1844-1937)
Charles-Marie Widor, composer, performer and professor, was primarily known for his works for organ. However, the Suite for Flute and Piano remains a staple of the flute repertoire, one of the most substantial and important examples of late romanticism written for flute. The piece was composed in 1877 and was both written for and premiered by that giant of the French flute world, Paul Taffanel. The four-movement work captures the late romantic style in its soaring melodies, quicksilver technical passages, ever-changing moods, and kaleidoscopic color palette.
NFA Rep Guide Level J
Jenny Davis, flute Ayako Yoda, piano
February 22
Hongroise from Eight Pieces
Lowell Liebermann (b. 1961)
Lowell Liebermann was born on this day in 1961. Beloved by flutists for his many works for the instrument, Liebermann’s Eight Pieces for Solo Flute provide vignettes of different musical styles rendered in his unique compositional style. The fifth piece, “Hongroise” is inspired by Hungarian folk dances.
Joshua Stine, flute
NFA Rep Guide Level J
February 22
Ophelia
Lowell Liebermann (b. 1961)
Lowell Liebermann was born on this day in 1961. Ophelia, from Eight Pieces for Solo Flute, is a musical depiction of Shakespeare’s tragic heroine from the play Hamlet.
Jennifer Parker-Harley, fluteNFA Rep Guide Level J
February 29
120 from Kembang Suling
Gareth Farr (b. 1968)
New Zealand composer and percussionist, Gareth Farr, was born on this day in 1968. At the age of twenty, Farr had the poignant experience of hearing a live gamelan orchestra, and the Indonesian gamelan rapidly became the hallmark of his compositional output. Kembang Suling, a three-movement work for flute and marimba, is Farr’s most popular composition to date. He writes about the opening movement, “On the magical island of Bali, flowing gamelan melodies intertwine with the sound of the ‘ruling’ (Balinese bamboo flute) to form rich colourful tapestries. The marimba and flute start out as one, their sounds indistinguishable. Bit by bit the flute asserts its independence, straying further and further from the marimba melody. An argument ensues— but all is resolved at the climax.”
Nave Graham , flute David Abraham, percussion