In an ironic twist, we’re just now sharing a chat we had at the beginning of the summer, which begins with Nicole reveling in her time off from school. Hanging out at the pool, spending time with non-musician friends, and reflecting on how our personal lives intersect and inform our artistic lives. Students, stay tuned for some sage advice (we hope).

Meet composer Viet Cuong, FNMC’s current commissioning partner! Today Viet shares the inspiration for his now-famous piece for flute and piano, Lacquer and Grit as well as a little preview of his artistic process for his upcoming work for flute and percussion. (Shameless plug: there’s still time to join the commission!). He also reflects upon the charm of working with a middle school band and shares the secret to winning his composer’s heart.

https://vietcuongmusic.com/about/

Michael Gordon, Timber

Sibelius Symphony No. 1, movement 1

Nils Fraum, Says

https://www.flutenewmusicconsortium.com/viet-cuong-commission.html

The Starling Experience with Lisa Bost: Today, Elizabeth and Nicole catch up with their friend Lisa Bost to discuss her work as a flutist and composer. Elizabeth commissioned the gorgeous flute quartet, Starling, back in 2021 for her album, and the three chat about the piece’s inception and listen to some snippets from the official recording. Lisa also shares fascinating perspectives on her fluid experiences moving between the flute and composer communities, describes her creative process, and has inspiring advice for the composition-curious.

https://www.lisabost.com/

Starling: https://www.lisabost.com/store/starling-for-flute-quartet

Starling murmurations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4f_1_r80RY

Diandya: https://www.lisabost.com/store/diandya-for-solo-flute