VAYU: Multi-cultural Flute Solos from the Twenty-First Century
Nina Assimakopoulos
Vayu, Multi-cultural Flute Solos from the Twenty-First Century, features internationally acclaimed flutist Nina Assimakopoulos. This album contains 10 ‘audience friendly’ avante-garde compositions for unaccompanied flute written after1962 that blend diverse multi-cultural musical styles and indigenous flute playing techniques with practices associated with western art music and the western classical flute.
This project distinguishes itself by virtue of the geographical diversity of the composers (five composers are American, the others come from Canada, England, India, Japan, and the Netherlands), the multi-cultural elements employed in their works, and the array of performance practices that go beyond the conventional playing techniques of the western flute, known within the field as “extended techniques.”
Reviews:
“It is often difficult to maintain the interest of an audience with a recital of solo works for a monophonic instrument. Assimakopoulos overcomes that hurdle both by her savvy repertory selections, collected over years of seeking outstanding new works for her instrument, and by the intensity and beauty of her playing. She has remarkable technique, and a lovely core tone that she is able to manipulate to great effect in this dazzling array of novel, even exotic, works.”
–Ronald E. Grames, Fanfare Magazine
“Bringing together the sounds and musical traditions of cultures that have fed into the Western concert flute’s repertoire, Vāyu is a showcase of contemporary flute music and sound. Assimakopoulos demonstrates her versatility as a player, drawing a wide array of effects from her instrument to create impressive performances across multiple genres of solo flute music.”
–Angus McPherson, Cut Common Magazine
“Attention flute world: here is Nina Assimakopoulos, an artistic force to be reckoned with! Not only is she in total command of the flute, but she also plays bass flute admirably.”
–Gorman, American Record Guide
Listen:
Track List
1. Fish Are Jumping -Robert Dick (US ’99)
2. Tenderness of Cranes -Shirish Korde (India, ’04):
3. Icicle -Robert Aitken (Canada ‘77)
4. Mei -Kazuo Fukushima (Japan ’62)
5. Revamper -Ann La Berge (US ’04)
6. Reflections -Maggi Payne (US ’00)
7. Kokopelli -Katherine Hoover (US ’01)
8 – 10. Spirit Man, Parts I – III -Margaret Fairlie-Kennedy (US ’02)
11. Honami -Wil Offermans (Netherlands ’94)
12. Zoom Tube -Ian Clark (England ‘01)