British Flute Society Convention 2012

   The British Flute Society is Europe’s oldest flute organization, formed by Trevor Wye in 1982. The organization has a flourishing membership and holds a range of events including an annual Young Artist competition, the Premier Flautist recital series, and its flagship event, the Flute Convention, held every 2 years.
   This year, the Eighth International Convention takes place August 17-20  at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and will use the impressive new recital hall (formerly the Lord Rhodes Room) in addition to the concert hall and workshop spaces. The convention will feature the Trade High Street exhibition space, with an opportunity to explore the wares of British and International flute shops.
   The program is varied and promises something for everyone including world-class recitals, masterclasses, adult amateur competitions, professional development sessions for teachers, a young flute players’ day, trade stands, flute choirs and workshops. There is a competition showcase concert, young artist recitals and new faces concerts to show the best up and coming talent, and for contemporary music fans, there are workshops on electronic music, commissioning, improvisation and the opportunity to discover new repertoire.
   The headline recitals will undoubtedly provide inspiration for all, with a star-studded line-up of international and British performers including Amy Porter, Aldo Baerten, Shashank, Alena Lugovkina, Michael Cox, Wissam Boustany, Clare Southworth and Ian Clarke. Early music aficionados will enjoy contributions by Rachel Brown, as well as workshops on the history of the piccolo and the world’s oldest flute.
   The piccolo is represented this year by Jean-Louis Beaumadier, Matjaz Debeljak and Lior Eitan, while low flutes are performed by Matthias Ziegler, Christian LeDelezir, Carla Rees, Marion Garver Frederickson and the Low Flutes Ensemble. No convention would be complete without certain personalities of the flute world, and the contributions from Trevor Wye, William Bennett and Atarah Ben-Tovim will undoubtedly be highlights. For full schedule details and other information, see www.bfs.org.uk