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Emmanuel Pahud

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Emmanuel Pahud is a Swiss flautist, born in Geneva in 1970. His father is of French-Swiss descent and his mother is French. He grew up in a family without musicians, and because his father worked for an American company, the family moved often. As a boy in Italy he became fascinated by the flute. He received his first flute for Christmas and took lessons with Philippe Binet and then with Philippe's father, François. In 1978 the family moved to Brussels, where he studied at the music academy in Uccle. From the age of four until he was twenty-two, his teachers included François Binet, Carlos Bruneel and Aurèle Nicolet.

Music and breakthrough

He trained at the Conservatoire de Paris and broke through internationally when he joined the Berliner Philharmoniker in 1992. He is also a soloist, and has made recordings of Mozart's flute concertos and the Concerto for Flute and Harp, of Debussy, Ravel and Prokofiev, and of Brazilian melodies on Tico-Tico (2000). His other albums include Cantos y danzas (1998), Paris (1998) and Quatuors avec flûte (1999). The Guardian wrote that he heralded the arrival of a new master of the flute.

Influence

Pahud plays Baroque, classical, jazz and contemporary music, and is known for his versatility and his clear, agile tone. He shows that the flute is not only an orchestral instrument but also a solo voice that can move between genres.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Debussy's Syrinx in a recording by Emmanuel Pahud and notice the long, calm lines and the silence between the phrases. Can you hear how the tone of the flute sounds almost like a soft breath?

Discography

Studio albums

See also

Categories: Artists