Lots to catch up on. A week of London, teaching and performing with a great British team: Wissam Boustany, Mike Mower, Jennifer Hutchinson, Alex Murray. Ian Mullin, Abigail Burrows, Simon Gilliver, and the founding tutors and incredible organizers Janna Hüneke and Kate Grace. Alex Murray, who at an intellectually and physically lively 81 is perhaps the best "advertisement" for Alexander Technique one can find, inspired us with new warm-ups based on Mozart's vocalise for Constanza and inspired me personally with his insights to and performance tips for Stockhausen's HARMONIEN.
Wissam Boustany inspired not only with his warm personality and informed playing (his Mozart sonate was exquisite!), but with the fact that he plays EVERYTHING, even pieces like the Hindemith Sonate, from memory. AS did his pianist as well!
And after my own program of "serious new music" ;) it was exhilarating a couple of days later to revel in Mike Mower's jazz/rock-influenced quartet FICTIONS--with Mike Mower himself leading the way and setting the (extremely virtuousic) standard.
Then there were all the new games I learned from Abigail Burrows: she had kids clamouring for more scales with her methods. She also writes regularly in the British Flute Society magazine Pan. I had let my subscription lapse some years ago, but I'm definitely signing up again. The British flute world is active, diverse, and FUN, and I'm glad to be in touch again!
