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US Premiere of Matthew Hindson’s House Music Closes National Flute Association Convention

Jun. 27, 2012

US Premiere of Matthew Hindson’s <em>House Music</em> Closes National Flute Association Convention

This summer over 3,000 flutists, composers, flute scholars, flute makers, publishers and all manner of flute enthusiasts descend on Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for the 40th Annual National Flute Association Convention. The US premiere of Matthew Hindson’s flute concerto House Music highlights the week’s programming at the closing gala concert on August 12.

Ransom Wilson leads Alexa Still with the Ruby Gala Orchestra through the performance of House Music, a reflection of the composer’s love and exploration of electronic dance music, while also a more literal reaction to the living quarters in one’s home. Hindson writes: 

My particular favorite style of electronic dance music is techno, for reasons of its extroversion and relevance to a wide swathe of young music lovers. Part of my compositional research over the past 12 years has been investigating the integration of aspects of techno music, such as its rhythmic, harmonic and structural paradigms, into the genre of contemporary art music, and in doing so, bringing it from its computer-based realizations to performances by living musicians on acoustic instruments

Richard Fairman writes in the Financial Times:

It shows you things that you never knew a flute could do - creating faux chords with harmonics, mixing air and notes, tapping on the keys, separate tonguings, quartertones.  And that is just the opening page. Hindson, who is Australian, wants to see if the rhythms and harmonies of techno music can be brought into the classical concert hall.  The result is bizarre but strangely compelling – long flute cadenzas that sound like avant-garde experimentation from the 1960s alternate with dance numbers for full orchestra with the volume turned up to maximum. Soloist Marina Piccinini showed off what she could do, as if asked to play the advanced guide to flautist's technique from first page to last at breakneck speed ... for once this was the living composer's evening.

Ransom Wilson leads Alexa Still and the Ensemble at Ceasars Palace on the Vegas strip.

More on the life and music of Matthew Hindson can be found at www.fabermusic.com.

Matthew Hindson
House Music (2006)
concerto for flute and orchestra
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25’

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