Un’esperienza fatastica – A great review by Paul Edmund-Davies from his Simply Flute News Letter
FLAUTI AL CASTELLO 2024 – 11th SEASON
APPLY HERE:
FLUTING IN UMBRIA!
AUGUST 1-AUGUST 10 2024
A nine-day intensive flute seminar with flutists Paul Edmund-Davies and Sergio Pallottelli and pianist extraordinaire William Braun
Join flutists Sergio Pallottelli and Paul Edmund-Davies for nine days at Casa Monteripido, an old Monastery in the heart of Umbria, in the city of Perugia, for incredible fluting, sharing views and emotions on music, auditioning, attending school, performing, collaborating, phrasing and wonderful concerts. Paul and Sergio are two flutists of different backgrounds and walks of life, but share the same soul as musicians and as human beings, and look forward to developing their collaboration and friendship by collaborating and sharing their way of living music in the most serene way. During this exclusive boutique-like master class, in the most magical and stress-free setting on the hill above Perugia, they create the most ideal environment to learn and share life, food, nature and being human in this ever- evolving world, all key to being a successful musician. Hard work, rehearsals and discussions take over most of the mornings and late afternoons, but there is plenty of time incorporated in the schedule to visit nearby historic towns, hike and breathe in the Italian culture. Perugia, an Etruscan city dating back to ca, 300B.C, and it’s surroundings, is home to many artists of fame from the past, such as Pietro Vannucci “Il Perugino” and “Pinturichio”, teacher of Raphael, Reneissance painter who produced nine of his paintings in Perugia. The value of breathing and experiencing this, will remain forever and shape the musicianship beyond all boundaries.
Class is taught in group, every student playing two individual 45 minute sessions, for each faculty, in front of the rest of the group. Everyone is required to be at every session, as this fuels the conversation and allows it to stay continuous, both emotionally and intellectually. The extraordinary pianist William Braun is available for all classes and open for rehearsals as well. His input, knowledge and incredible wit, complete the faculty trio, which performs a gala concert during the festival. The two final student recitals take place at end of festival and are the highlight of this magical time together, a culmination of nine days of hard and passionate work.
We are very excited to continue our collaboration with our wonderful hosts at this stunning location, Casa Monteripido, and with our local liason, Fondazione Collezione Bernardini.
IMPORTANT:
NO REFUNDS WILL BE MADE AFTER TUITION IS PAID UNLESS COURSE IS TOTALLY CANCELLED.
Special conditions
Under-18-years of age students will be accepted on a limited basis, and will need a parent or guardian to sign a letter of consent.
Flauti al Castello is not responsible for damages caused by participants. Any damage caused to property or persons, will be the responsibility of the participant. Travel arrangements that do not fall in the pickup and return dates for the festival will not be covered by the festival.
The Monastery is not handicap-accessible and there is alot of walking involved to get to town, restaurant and shopping. The Monastery has no elevator to get from floor to floor.
Allergies: We do our best to satisfy all food allergy requests, but are in no way responsible if requests cannot be met given the extremely rural setting of the place and cuisine. The kitchen staff accommodates everyone, but the resources of what is available limit the choices greatly. We will be dining at two restaurants mainly of typical local cuisine.
TRAVEL
We will suggest and assist how to get to Perugia, depending on your travel plans before and after the course. It is your responsibility to get yourself to Perugia by the designated date.
Schedule:
August 1 Arrival and welcome reception-We will pick you up at Perugia train station or Airport.
August 2 – 9 Master classes, faculty concerts, student recital, group excursions
August 10 Departure-Transportation provided to Perugia airport or train station
Tuition includes:
*Two master classes daily (you do not play in all, but should be present at all sessions)
*Lodging for nine nights at Casa Monteripido.
*Three meals daily, August 2-8; evening reception/dinner on August 1
*Transportation from and to Perugia train station or airport and for local excursions
*Services of collaborative pianist William Braun
*Faculty concerts
*Total cost: $1850 (USD)
*Private lessons available with Mr. Edmund-Davies and Mr. Pallottelli upon request at €100/lesson
Auditors are welcome to attend classes for a daily fee of €50. Fine restaurants and overnight accommodations are available in Perugia and other nearby towns.
TO APPLY:
Applications are due May 1st Full tuition due no later than May 30th.
We will ask you to send a video link that best represents your playing, of two contrasting pieces, one technical and one lyrical. Questions and applications may be directed to flautialcastello@gmail.com.
THE FACULTY:
Paul Edmund-Davies, ARCM, AGSM, Hon ARAM established his international reputation as flautist and soloist in the twenty years that he was Principal Flute of the London Symphony Orchestra and then a further five years at the Philharmonia Orchestra.
In June 2007 his book, The 28 Day Warm up Book for all Flautists…eventually! was first published. This 150 page technical book, now in its thirteenth edition, has been translated into Japanese, Spanish and Russian and has reached most corners of the world.
As a result of the success of this book, Paul launched a flute focused online educational website. Simply Flute (www.simplyflute.com) is a platform dedicated to providing instruction and exercises to help flute players of all stages and ages on their respective musical journeys with the instrument. In the past two years, it has steadily become an online flute method.
His second book, A Consequence of Sequences, was published in February 2018, with the third, Coffee Noodles in 2021.
Paul has also played on many Hollywood blockbuster film soundtracks, From Star Wars and the early Harry Potter films to Mission Impossible, Interstellar, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, Beauty and the Beast, Wonder Woman, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Victoria and Abdul. And more recently Godzilla, Shazam, Angry Birds 2, Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Wonder Woman 1984 and the recently released James Bond movie, No Time to Die. He is the principal flute on the Amazon TV prequel to Lord of the Rings, due out in May/June this year.
He is equally very honoured to be Officier de l’Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne.
Sergio Pallottelli captivates and dazzles audiences worldwide. As a soloist and avid chamber musician, he has performed in halls of Europe, Australia, US and South America. Constantly in search of a new composition or a new piece to adapt for the flute, he offers elegant and passionate programming. Pallottelli communicates with his audiences in the most charismatic way, be it in major orchestra halls or chamber settings alike. His virtuosic and poetic style of playing has a human approach to it and is always at the service of music; his sound is alive and multicolored, his phrasing elegant yet daring. He is interested in a wide variety of styles, which drives him to collaborate with composers world-wide. His love for chamber music has brought him to perform with top musicians from five continents.
Pallottelli is equally at home playing and teaching music from the Baroque to our time, as well as music of Latin America. Having toured Central America and South America for over ten years, he has developed a deep passion for the music of Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela. Performing music of our time plays an important role in Pallottelli’s career as it is a living continuation of history and musical development; he frequently collaborates with composers to increase the repertoire for the flute and has premiered several new works for the instrument. This always opens new windows of knowledge, brings great freshness to his playing and broadens his musical horizon.
The 2021-22 season included recitals, concertos and master classes in Italy, Spain, France, Canada as well as in the United States, a good start after the lock down halt.
The upcoming season brings recitals and chamber music collaborations in the US, Argentina, Germany, Canada, France, Spain and Italy and hopefully Japan. In July 2023 he will be continuing the extremely successful “Flauti al Castello”, a week long flute class in the heart of Umbria (new location!), joined this year by British flutist Paul Edmund-Davies, and will again be on faculty of the Zodiac Festival in France, both events now in their eleventh season seasons.
In 2023 Pallottelli returned to his home country, Italy, after 28 years in the United States, the last 12 of which in Texas. The new home has him teaching a private studio of advanced flutists, playing with the leading music organizations in the area, as well as pursuing a busy performing and teaching activity away from home. Prior to the move to Houston he lived in Connecticut, where he was adjunct flute faculty at University of Bridgeport as well as at the prestigious Taft School. From 2017 to 2023 he was on the Faculty of Longy School of Music of Bard College in Boston. He is currently Professor of Flute at Vivaldi Conservatory, in Alessandria, Italy. Conservatorio Vivaldi
Pallottelli was born in New York City, of an Italian father, a journalist and photographer, and a German mother, a painter and textile designer, who raised him in Italy from an early age. Growing up in rural Tuscany, he lived the simple life, but was exposed to art and music for as long as he can remember. The house was always full of friends from all parts of the world, artists, singers, musicians and scientists. The languages spoken on a daily basis were Italian, English and German. Pallottelli later also became fluent in Spanish, as a result of his frequent travels to South and Central America. At high-school age he moved to Siena, to pursue more serious musical studies at the Conservatory. After high school he moved to Milan and entered the Conservatory, graduating shortly after. He has lived in Milan, Monterchi, Siena, Salt Lake City, New Haven and Houston. Thanks to his travels and many close friendships both within and outside the music world, there are many places he calls home, in Europe, Latin America and North America.
Pallottelli holds performance degrees from the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music in Milan, Italy, University of Utah and Yale School of Music. He spent several summers working intensely with French flute legend Maxence Larrieu, who taught with great discipline, style and verve, to make a significant impression on Pallottelli’s playing and musicianship.
Pallottelli performs on a Yamaha Wood flute and a Hernandez head join.
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Pianist William Braun holds a doctorate in piano performance from Yale University and is known as a gifted collaborator, soloist, and writer. He made his New York debut in concert with Dawn Upshaw, has appeared with Michael Tilson Thomas’s New World Symphony in Miami, and served as principal keyboard player for the New Haven Symphony for 25 years. Opera News has published over 200 of his essays, including interviews with Birgit Nilsson, Cecilia Bartoli, and Nikolaus Harnoncourt; his musical-dramatic analyses of such operas as Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia, Verdi’s Don Carlos and Macbeth, and Messiaen’s St. François d’Assise; and his cover profiles on Peter Sellars, Dawn Upshaw, and John Adams, among others. In 2006 the Salzburg Festival invited Mr. Braun to contribute the keynote essay for their new production of Mozart’s Die Entfûhrung aus dem Serail. Having performed extensively with Sergio Pallottelli since they first met in New Haven almost twenty years ago, he is thoroughly familiar with the flute repertoire…and says that he loves it!
Sergio Pallottelli 