Amara Guitry

Beginning and Intermediate Traverso

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Amara GuitryDr. AMARA GUITRY holds multiple degrees in historical and modern flute, and was a recipient of a Fulbright Graduate Award to the United Kingdom. She is an avid private teacher of flutes, having begun teaching during the late 20th century. Dr. Guitry coaches flute sections in band and orchestral settings in local schools and often guest lectures in Univeristy settings. She especially enjoys introducing modern flute players to baroque and other historical flutes. As a result of her doctoral work, she has been published in the Dutch Journal of Music Theory and inspired several composers to write new music which she has premiered, using techniques she has pioneered for the baroque flute as a contemporary instrument. She enjoys chamber music and has performed with a range of musical groups in the United Kingdom, United States, Poland, Holland. As an orchestral flutist, she has performed with the Mercury Orchestra, The Columbus Symphony, Promusica Chamber Orchestra, 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. In particular, Dr. Guitry enjoys bringing more unusual and less often played music and flutes to her performances whenever possible. She currently serves as principal flute of The Washington National Cathedral Baroque Orchestra and second flute with Apollo’s Fire, the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra.

 

Traverso Test Drive

Take a Traverso Test Drive! This opportunity is for silver flute players who would like to learn to play the baroque flute, (traverso). With this option, you can borrow a baroque flute to play for the entire week. Test drivers will have three mini private or semi-private lessons during the week. While you are learning what might seem like new techniques on a new instrument, you will also be opening your musical mind to new ideas and putting a different emphasis on your modern flute technique. You will find out what it’s like to manage fingerings for an instrument with just one key. You will learn how to focus and create a variety of colors in the tone you produce on the traverso, achieving uniquely beautiful sonorities 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 and tone color. The technical requirements to play the baroque flute will improve your understanding of the interpretation of baroque music, building your working knowledge of articulation, breathing, dynamics, phrasing and musical expression in Baroque music.

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. Students who learn to play the traverso experience many “aha!” moments as some issues that were difficult to understand and work out on the modern flute can often be self explanatory once you have an understanding of the traverso. 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.

  

Traverso Chamber Music

Do you want to learn and play more music with a group of other traverso players? Do you have practical questions about playing the baroque flute that you would like to have answered? Would you enjoy the opportunity to integrate the techniques you’ve learned either on your own or in the previous (Have a Go) class in a supportive, group setting? 

The Traverso Chamber Music Class is a continuation of the ideas and goals of the (introductory) "Have a Go" Traverso Class. It is especially suited for 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. We will be reading and working on musical and technical issues with “real world” situations in baroque music. This is a rare chance to play in a larger group of baroque flutists while we learn from each other.

This class will build the player's skill and familiarity with:

Students are even welcome to bring along music they would like to read with others. Exploration of ideas and interests of participants is always an important element in this class.

  

Video

 

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