National Flute Association selected performers, 2023

Flamenco-Blues pour un prophète (Jacques Riou, b. 1949), explores "musical crossroads" between the flamenco of Spain, blues of the southern United States, and French impressionist music. This dramatic piece features 12 scenes where various characters are heard arriving, expressing doubt, disagreeing, winning support, disapproval, prayers of reconciliation and ultimately communing together. 

Journey Chalan is a newly composed work spearheaded by Connessa’s very own Leilani Gjellstad and Valerie McElroy. The mid-section directly quotes a 2009 performance of Raag Madhuvanti by master bansuri flute player and teacher Hariprasad Chaurasia while the opening and closing sections feature earnest deconstructions of complex Hindustani forms simplified by the limitations of Western ears and instruments. Journey Chalan seeks to aurally depict the evolutionary experience of a sincere but struggling Western music-fluent listener attempting to honor and appreciate the complex Hindustani classical music tradition. 

Fabulanza & Xorotramao (Nicolás Real, b. 1969). Fabulanza, with its long melodies and colorful harmonies, is reminiscent of Venezuelan folk tales and leaves the listener with a sense of uplifting peace. Xorotramao integrates two Venezuelan ideas – joropo (joyful music for parties and dancing) and tramao (the act of weaving). Traditionally, joropo featured women in flowing skirts twirling while the men stomped on the beat. This piece likewise creates a vibrant musical tapestry full of syncopation and tight counterpoint. 

Connessa [con-nès-sa; Italian verb; "to connect"] was formed in 2019 on a mission to perform unexpected and lesser-known pieces and to tell the stories of marginalized people – the stories of our own distinct cultures. We began to conceptualize the wide world of flute music as a resplendent structure with infinite windows. The musical traditions beyond each window are so distinctive and complex that they could easily be peered at, actively explored and enjoyed for a lifetime. Connessa throws the windows open with a program of four works that tell the stories of three distinct musical traditions. 

The flute world is broad and deep. As musicians with intersectional identities, we crave music that shines a light on these identities. We are thankful for the NFA's dedication to expanding the global flute family. While we do not claim to be experts on these musical traditions, we are in the habit and practice of learning more about them and attempting to honor them authentically without seeking to appropriate. We intend to perform these pieces to celebrate the open windows into these vast musical traditions, share them with the NFA flute community and invite them to learn along with us.