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Bringing It Home – The Saint Rose Blog

Saint Rose Flute Day: October 5, 2019

On October 5, you’re invited to hear some wonderful flute playing. Flutists of all ages, ability levels, and experience will gather at Saint Rose for the fifth annual Flute Day — a great opportunity for flute players to learn and play together.

Guest artist, world-renowned flutist and composer Gary Shocker, will conduct master classes and perform a full recital. Flute Day participants will also perform in a second concert in the afternoon.

Everyone from the community is welcome to both performances and master classes, which are free and open to the public. Interested in listening? Head to Massry Center for the Arts for an amazing time (no tickets required)!

We spoke with Saint Rose’s own Dr. Yvonne Chavez Hansbrough, the founder and coordinator of Flute Day. Hansbrough’s musical career spans 20 years of teaching and performing all over the world.

What is Flute Day?
Saint Rose Flute Day is an opportunity for flutists of all ages and levels to come together to celebrate flute playing and teaching.

What’s special about this year’s Flute Day?
Gary Schocker, our guest artist, is considered one of the greatest flutists of his generation. He’s also a pianist, composer, harpist, and teacher. As a flutist, he is known for his beautiful sound and effortless technique has performed as a soloist around the world. Early in his career, he filled in for an ailing Jean-Pierre Rampal, performing a Mozart concerto with the New Jersey Symphony with only a few hours notice.

As a composer, he has almost 300 works in print, which are mostly for flute.
We are fortunate to have an artist of Gary’s caliber to visit our campus and community.

Who can participate?
Flute players of all ages, experience, and levels, including professionals, amateurs, adults, elementary-high school, college students, music majors, and teachers are welcome.

Also, college and community members are welcome to hear two free concerts, the first by Gary Schocker and pianist Fumi Kuwajima, and the second by the Flute Day participants. The second program will end with a performance of Ashokan Farewell by Jay Ungar, featuring all flutists attending the festival.

What are the different events going on throughout the day?
We have an exciting lineup of learning and listening opportunities at the Massry Center for the Arts (times are tentative). Members of the public are welcome to attend the performances and master classes, which include a recital by Gary Schocker and pianist Fumi Kuwajima at 2:15 and a performance by Flute Day participants beginning at 3:30 (see listing at bottom of blog post).

How did Flute Day start?
Our first Saint Rose Flute Day was in 2009. Alexa Still, a renowned flutist, was in town performing a concerto with the Albany Symphony. I took the opportunity to invite her to visit Saint Rose and be part of our first festival. She taught a masterclass and performed for attendees. Nineteen talented middle and high school flute students participated in the Honors Flute Choir. Subsequent festivals took place in fall 2009, 2011, and 2013.

How does this day bring together the community?
The event brings community members together as either a participant in the festival or as audience members attending concerts.

Another thing that makes this Flute Day special is that I am collaborating with the Capital Area Flute Club, a community flute choir of 30 plus members. They are sponsoring Gary Schocker’s appearance. It has been a pleasure to work with this dedicated group of flutists.

Event details
What: Saint Rose Flute Day, featuring flutist Gary Schocker
Where: Massry Center for the Arts, 1002 Madison Avenue, Albany 12203
When: October 5, 2019
Master classes led by Gary Schocker, 10:40 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Recital by Gary Schocker and Fumi Kuwajima, 2:15 p.m., Picotte Recital Hall
Recital by Flute Day participants, 3:30 p.m., Picotte Recital Hall
Reception, 5 p.m.

The master classes, performances, and reception are free and open to the public.

By Sarah Uzzi ’21

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