Emmanuel Pahud
Emmanuel Pahud (born 27 January 1970) is a Franco-Swiss flautist.
Emmanuel Pahud
He was born in Geneva, Switzerland. His father is of French and Swiss background and his mother is French. The Berlin-based flutist[1] is most known for his baroque and classical flute repertoire.
Pahud was born into a nonmusical family.[2]
As a young boy living in Italy, Pahud was captivated by the sounds of the flute.[1]
From the age of four to the age of 22, he was tutored and mentored by flutists such as François Binet, Carlos Bruneel and Aurèle Nicolet.[3]
Classically trained at the Conservatoire de Paris, he leapt into the international orchestral and solo music scene when he joined the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 1992.
His versatility in music styles over the years has "signalled the arrival of a new master flautist" (The Guardian).[4] He plays in diverse music genres, whether baroque, jazz, contemporary, classical, orchestral, or chamber music.
Biography[edit]
Early life[edit]
Travelling has been a big part of Emmanuel Pahud's life from birth. His father worked for a US company, and the family moved repeatedly during his childhood.[5] However, this would only shape Pahud's international outlook for his future.[2] Only six weeks after Pahud was born, his parents moved to Baghdad for one year. They moved again when he was one to Paris, where Emmanuel's younger brother was born. In 1972, they then moved to Madrid for two years, and in 1974, finally settled in Rome for four years. The Swiss-French Binet family, whose four children played musical instruments, lived in the same apartment building in Rome. The father (François) was a flautist who studied in Zürich and Paris but stopped performing in later years. At the age of four, Pahud first heard the flute. As the eldest son Philippe played Mozart's Flute Concerto No. 1,[5] it set the course to a remarkable chapter of Pahud's life.[1] He recalls:
Career[edit]
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra[edit]
Being appointed as principal flutist at the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO)[11] signalled Pahud's entrance into the international spotlight. He entered the orchestra during its rejuvenation period as the post-war generation of players began to retire.[6] Over 40 per cent, including Pahud's position was up for audition, or on trial. His predecessor was Karlheinz Zöller (1960–69, 1976–93).[6] Apart from Pahud, other previous international flutists held the same principal flutist position such as Aurèle Nicolet (1950–59)[12] and Sir James Galway (1969–75).[3] Pahud wrote of his experience playing with the orchestra:
