Amara
Guitry graduated from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music with degrees
in both historical and modern flute performance. While at Oberlin she was a
pupil of Michael Lynn, Michel Debost and Kathleen Chastain. She graduated with
a Master's Degree in modern flute from The Ohio State University where she studied
with Katherine Borst Jones. Guitry received a first prize award at the American
Bach Soloists International Baroque Oboe and Flute Competition and was invited
back as a soloist with the ABS for performances in San Francisco and Berkeley,
California. In 2002 she was a recipient of a Fulbright Graduate Student Award
to the United Kingdom, and in October of 2003 received a Master's Degree in
Early Music Performance from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. In 2010,
she was awarded her doctorate from City University and the Guildhall School.
Ms. Guitry has performed with Mercury Baroque, The Washington Bach Consort,
and The English Haydn Festival, the Purcell Singers & Orchestra, and the
Pepys Ensemble; and under the auspices of the University of Pittsburgh, she
took part in the modern world premiere performance of C.P.E. Bach's St. Matthew
Passion. She is an avid teacher of both modern and baroque musicians and has
a keen interest in furthering the baroque flute as a contemporary instrument
for new music.
"Have a Go" Traverso is a class for silver flute players who would like to learn to play the baroque flute, or traverso. What first appears to be a new technique is simply giving your established flute technique a different emphasis and new perspective. You will become adept with the useful finger management required for working without keys and the necessity of keeping a calm and gently flowing air stream to achieve a beautiful sonority on cross-fingered notes. The control of intonation is closely related to the quality of tone production. The use of baroque intonation develops your sensitivity to sonority. The technical requirements to play the baroque flute will improve your understanding of the interpretation of baroque music - including articulation, breathing, dynamics, phrasing and musical expression.
The subtleties of traverso playing will help you to gain new insight into the processes of composers such as Bach, Handel and Mozart, and will give you a new perspective on and innovative ideas for performance on the modern flute. The instrument itself, and the way it contributes to our understanding of interpretation is taken seriously by most of the world's leading Boehm flute players, a number of whom, including Göran Marcusson, have a working knowledge of the traverso.
The Traverso Chamber Music Class is a continuation of the ideas and goals of the (introductory) "Have a Go" Traverso Class. It is suitable for those players who feel ready to move on from beginning technique and for flutists who have some prior experience playing the baroque flute and would like to consolidate and extend their practical knowledge. The class will build the player's skill and familiarity with:
Exploration of ideas and interests of those participating is always an important element in this class.
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