A History of the NewYork Flute Club

Item

Title
A History of the NewYork Flute Club
Identifier
d_2009_2013:98052ee3c443:11259
identifier
11640
Creator
Wechsler, David J.,
Contributor
Bruce C. MacIntyre
Date
2012
Language
English
Publisher
City University of New York.
Subject
Music | American history | the New York Flute Club
Abstract
The New York Flute Club is one of the oldest organizations of its kind in the United States. The club has been a fixture on the New York City music scene since its inception in 1920. It was formed as a gathering place for amateurs and professionals alike to promote the flute in both social and performance contexts, and has had a direct impact on the musical life of flutists who have come to New York City to study and perform. From the historic perspective, it has provided a meeting ground for flutists to network for many years. From an artistic viewpoint, it has been a place to hear many styles of flute repertoire: from the many premieres of conservative style new works to cutting-edge avant-garde pieces; from standard works to chamber music. In addition to conventional flute concerts, there have been early music, jazz, electronic, avant-garde, and ethnic flute performances.;The idea for the NYFC took shape in 1920, when a group of seventeen flutists met at the home of its founder, French emigre Georges Barrere, to play the Kuhlau Grand Quartet op. 103. Barrere was then the principal flutist of the New York Symphony Orchestra and flute professor at the Institute of Musical Art (predecessor of The Juilliard School). The club was incorporated in the State of New York on December 31, 1920 and held its first meeting five days later.;The Club's activities in the first decade were regularly covered by The Flutist magazine, published by Dr. Emil Medicus, and early programs included flute ensemble music and the works of contemporary composers, including several women. In more recent years, the club has released recordings, mounted exhibits at the New York Public Library at Lincoln Center, introduced competitions, done outreach to schools, and started an annual flute fair.;The club's value to scholarly research lies in its longevity as an organization, its advocacy of the French style of flute playing, its flexibility in a time of changing artistic tastes, and the large number of concerts that have been performed by great flutists for the past 91 years. It is a club worth knowing more about. The appendixes to this study include a detailed chronology of the repertoire and personnel of the club's concerts, as well as separate lists of concerts performed by officers and/or key personnel of the club whose presence in the club's history is noteworthy. These include John Wummer, Harry Moskovitz, Paige Brook, and Eleanor Lawrence.
Type
dissertation
Source
2009_2013.csv
degree
D.M.A.
Program
Music