“The Sydney Conservatorium of Music was such a great location, and not just because it's shaped like a castle. There was ample space for tables and tables of every flute you could imagine, from the alto to bass to contra-bass in every metal and wood and even plastic. You could hear everyone trying out the different flutes with their fastest possible chromatic scales and different renditions of Peter and the Wolf, filling the foyer with sound from the moment you walked in.
It was also a fantastic opportunity to network and meet with other flute players. I very much enjoyed making connections with people from all over Australia, particularly students in the same year as me, and being able to hear them play in various competitions. Additionally, I got to connect and spend more time with the South Australian Flutes, and explore Sydney with them: building sandcastles at Manly Beach and wandering around Luna Park.
A personal highlight for me was listening to Joshua Batty's recital, where he played Fantasie by Georges Hüe, a favourite piece of mine and also inspiring as I was to play it in an exam just two days later. I also really appreciated the final concert, where Julia Grenfell's Piccolo Ridiccolo was very much enjoyed by the whole audience. Playing the contrabass flute for the first time was also very entertaining.
I would like to thank the Flute Society for being so helpful in this experience, not only with the monetary support, but also with encouragement and being able to create a great South Australian performance in the Flute Society show.
I've come out of the Festival feeling inspired and motivated, with new strategies from all the workshops and a wonderful sense of life from the flute community. I'm excited to attend the next one!
I'd like to sincerely thank the Flute Society of South Australia, Elizabeth Koch, Size Music and Consortium Music for being so incredibly generous and supportive of me and the other flute players that went to Sydney. Their generosity made the trip so much more manageable and enjoyable.”
“I found the 2023 Flute Festival to be an absolutely incredible experience.”
Hope Sawers
2nd Year Bachelor of Classical Performance, Elder Conservatorium
“I attended the last two days of the 2023 Australian Flute Festival, and it was definitely a worthwhile experience. A highlight of the festival for me was watching Julia Grenfell’s masterclass on Orchestral Excerpts. Common orchestral audition excerpts such as the flute solo from Daphnis et Chloe and the Firebird were covered. One of the major takeaways from this session was that it is important to begin learning the standard audition excerpts early, so that you are better prepared when it comes time for an actual audition. I was able to get lots of notes on phrasing, tempo, interpretation, and practice techniques for each excerpt, which was very useful.
I attended a few concerts such as the Geoffrey Collins retrospective and the Closing concert, as well as the Young Artists Competition. These concerts showcased many contemporary pieces with extended techniques, which I had not gotten the chance to hear before. I enjoyed watching the Young Artists competition because I could hear different interpretations of works that I have played and see the standard of flute playing
nationally, not just in South Australia. It was also fun to walk around all the vendor stalls in the foyer and try out different flutes. Hearing more about the different components of the flute and how they affect the sound was very informative.
Being surrounded by so many flautists from all around Australia was inspiring and I returned home to Adelaide with a few new technique books and a new sense of motivation! I would recommend attending the Australian Flute Festival to any young flautists as there are so many sessions focusing on different aspects of flute playing and you’ll get to see so many incredible musicians.”
“A highlight of the festival for me was watching Julia Grenfell’s masterclass on Orchestral Excerpts.”
Akane Mears
