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Bass Flute UNLEASHED

Dutch flutemaker Eva Kingmarevolutionized the mechanics of the entire flute family by creating a quarter-tone key system. She took that further by also creating an open-hole key system for the low flutes (alto, bass, contrabass). This system dramatically expands the sound capabilities, resulting in a powerful dynamic range, full quarter-tone scale, and virtually endless multiphonics options.

 

These are limiting factors on a traditional bass flute which have given rise to bass flute clichés, most notably a tendency to overuse percussive and airy sounds, leading to predictable gestures. With the open-hole Kingma bass flute, limitations disappear.

 

Bass Flute UNLEASHED is a long-term commissioning and collaboration project to fully explore the sonic possibilities of the open-hole Kingma Bass Flute.

UNLEASHED Trailer: New Music for Open Hole Bass Flute and Electronics

UNLEASHED Trailer: New Music for Open Hole Bass Flute and Electronics

UNLEASHED launched with a evening-length staged production of five works for bass flute and electronics. This was supposrted with a project grant from NewMusic USA entitled: New Works for the Open-Hole Bass Flute. In this initial launch, composers Kyong Mee Choi, Eric Honour, and Morgan Krauss were commissioned. 

Program

Morgan Krauss: Private Language as Torrid Language for bass flute and sound engineer

Kyong Mee Choi: Freed (2014) for bass flute and electronics

Wim Henderickx: On the Road for bass flute and electronics (US Premiere)

Francisco Castillo Trigueros: Sur les debris (2013) for bass flute and 4-channel electronics

Eric Honour: Stutter Edit for bass flute and electronics

Commissioned Works

Sur les debris (2013) for bass flute and 4-channel electronicsFrancisco Castillo Trigueros

Freed (2014) for bass flute and electronics | Kyong Mee Choi

Stutter Edit (2014) for bass flute and electronics | Eric Honour 

Private Language as Torrid Language (2014) for bass flute and sound engineerMorgan Krauss

Spindle (2015) for solo bass flute | Timothy Page

Shadow Play (2016) for bass flute and electronics | Fredrick Gifford

atsiminimas (2016) for solo bass flute | Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf

breathwatersoundcanon (2020) for bass flute, electronics, and video | Iddo Aharony

The Rope Dancer Accompanies Herself With Her Shadows (2021) for quarter tone bass flute and live electronics | Jay Alan Yi

Isaac Newton in a Spaceship (2021) for bass flute and electronics | Blaise Ubaldini (FR/CH)

Commissions In Development: Stefano Pierini (IT), Lisa Renee Coons (US)

Interested in collaborating with me on a piece for this project? Email me

Reference Materials

Here are some reference materials about my instruments, and the bass flute specifically. There are fingering charts and recordings of multiphonics that are special to my bass flute and make use of the open holes and quarter-tone keys. 

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