FLUTELORE, the latest album from flutist Mary Matthews and the Newfound Chamber Winds, invites listeners to delve into a world of folklore, fairytales, and proverbs through the evocative sound of the flute. Commissioned by Matthews in 2024, this album features two compelling flute concerti that explore a range of themes, from comedy and spirituality to the fantastical.
Cherise Leiter’s concerto, Four Proverbs, is a four-movement work inspired by proverbs from Kabir, Ida Outhwaite, Rumi, and traditional Latin sources. Leiter’s innovative approach expands the traditional boundaries of flute concerti and wind ensemble music by incorporating a diverse array of instruments and techniques, including alto flute, finger cymbals, shakers, body percussion, glockenspiel, and spoken text performed by both the soloist and ensemble members.
Nicole Chamberlain’s Animalis presents a three-movement exploration of fairytales and fables where the flute plays a central role in communicating with animals—calling, charming, or warning them of impending danger. This concerto employs extended techniques to vividly portray underwater scenes, dramatic chases, and dialogues between animals, showcasing both the solo flute and the chamber winds in a dynamic and imaginative soundscape.
Oboe
Matthew Hudgens
Andrew Parker
Clarinet
Brian Do
Nick Thompson
Track Listing:
Four Proverbs | Cherise Leiter
(1) I. All flute players are mad
(2) II. The flute of the infinite
(3) III. Clear on a flute
(4) IV. The flute of felicity
Animalis | Nicole Chamberlain
(5) I. Calling Sheep
(6) II. No Fish Were Charmed
(7) III. Wolf Pipe
Recording and Production Team:
Eric Dluzniewski, Recording Engineer
Evan Harger, Producer
Matthew Angelo, Producer
Assistant Producers: Cheyenne Cruz, Brian Do, Danielle Fisher, Daniel Heredia, Yuji Jones, Cristobal Mendez, Alejandro Nava, Carlos Navarro
Composers:
Cherise Leiter
Nicole Chamberlain
Recorded in June of 2024 at Chandler Recital Hall in the Diehn School of Music at Old Dominion University
NEWFOUND CHAMBER WINDS
French Horn
Anne-Marie Cherry
Rachel Hockenberry
Bassoon
Nik Hooks
Dillon Meacham
Conductor
Tyler Austin
Animalis by Nicole Chamberlain
Animalis, derived from the Latin word for "breath” and representing the term for earthly creatures, is a concerto for flute and chamber ensemble that draws inspiration from animal-centered stories and fables passed down through generations. Each movement in Animalis explores a different narrative involving animals and the flute, capturing the magical and often whimsical interactions between them.
The first movement, Calling Sheep, is inspired by the tradition of shepherds across various cultures who use the flute to communicate with their sheep. This movement evokes pastoral scenes where the flute serves as a guiding presence, imitating the gentle calls and melodies used to manage and comfort the flock.
The second movement, No Fish Were Charmed, is based on a Greek fable about a fisherman who attempts to use his flute to enchant fish into dancing. The narrative takes a darker turn when the fish refuse to dance, leading the fisherman to capture them in a net. He mocks their lack of dance before their inevitable demise. The movement reflects the fable's humorous yet tragic tone, using the flute to depict the fisherman's efforts and the fish's futile resistance. The music captures the tension and irony of the situation, with playful yet poignant motifs that highlight the fisherman's misguided attempt to use music for manipulation.
The final movement, Wolf Pipe, draws from an Aesop fable featuring a young goat who strays from the safety of the flock and encounters a wolf. As the wolf threatens to eat the young goat, the goat cleverly persuades the wolf to play his pipe one last time. The familiar tune attracts the flock's protective dogs, who rush to the rescue, driving the wolf away and saving the goat. The movement portrays this dramatic and cunning escape with a blend of tension and relief, incorporating lively and rhythmic elements to convey the chase and the ultimate triumph of the young goat's quick thinking.
Four Proverbs by Cherise Leiter
The Latin proverb, "All flute players are mad. When once they begin to blow, away goes reason," serves as the inspiration for the first movement of Four Proverbs. Each movement of this work is based on a quote about the flute, and the first movement challenges the flutist with a range of extended techniques, including jet whistles, overblowing through the harmonic series, and singing while playing. The movement also features stomping and shouting amid complex, syncopated rhythms. In addition to their instruments, ensemble members utilize shakers to enhance the texture.
The second movement draws from a quote by the Indian mystic poet Kabir: “The flute of the infinite is played without ceasing, and its sound is love." It begins with the flutist playing alto flute and the ensemble humming softly. The movement transitions from a 7/4 time signature to a 12/4 section with the C-flute before returning to the opening material. An optional glockenspiel adds a shimmering layer to the ensemble's sound in this meditative movement.
The third movement is a lively rondo that alternates between a spirited 6/8 melody and two contrasting sections. It features only the higher-pitched instruments of the ensemble, complemented by finger cymbals or triangles. The accompanying text is from Fairyland, illustrated by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite and written by Annie Rentoul and Grenbry Outhwaite: “Then clear on a flute of purest gold a sweet little fairy played. And wonderful fairy tales she told, and marvelous music made.”
The final movement is inspired by the Persian poet Rumi's quote: “Play the flute of felicity! You, yourself, are the melody." Unlike the other movements, this one does not include additional percussion. It begins with a bold, declarative statement from the flute and evolves into a groove-based section featuring rapid, flowing notes. The movement culminates with energetic references to themes from earlier movements, leading to a joyous and vibrant conclusion.
Mary Matthews, Soloist
Mary Matthews is a dynamic and versatile performer with a distinguished career as an international soloist, chamber musician, orchestral flutist, recording artist, author, and educator. She has performed on four continents, showcasing her artistry at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Fundação Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina, Festival Goethe Institut Música Nueva, and Cité Internationale des Arts. Dr. Matthews currently serves as flute professor at Florida State University’s College of Music. She is also the second flutist of the Tallahassee Symphony and performs regularly with the Nashville and Chattanooga Symphonies. An active studio musician and recording artist, Mary can be heard on soundtracks for film, TV, and video games on Netflix, HBO, and Disney. She has released four albums including Intersections (Ravello Records), Three-Nine Line (MSR Classics), Charuhas (Naxos), and Preludes & Recitations (Tonsehen Records).
As a chamber musician, Mary is the flutist of Khemia Ensemble, a new music group dedicated to reflecting broader perspectives in contemporary chamber music. With its dynamic instrumentation, Khemia’s unique sound world encompasses the presentation of new classical music with a mix of acoustic chamber works, multimedia, and multi-genre influences. She is also a member of the Newfound Chamber Winds, Duo Rossignol, and Duo Elektra. With these ensembles, she has been featured at the ICA Festival in Dublin, Ireland, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, the Dairy Arts Center's Soundscape series, and multiple National Flute Association conventions.
Prior to her appointment at Florida State University, Dr. Matthews was Associate Professor of Flute at Tennessee Tech University’s School of Music. In the summer, she serves on the faculties of New England Music Camp, the Newfound Chamber Winds Fellowship Program, and the FSU Summer Music Camps. She has presented workshops and masterclasses at institutions and conferences worldwide, including Michigan State University, Columbus State University's Schwob School of Music, Bowling Green State University, and El Instituto Eduardo Laredo in Cochabamba, Bolivia, among others.Dr. Matthews has co-authored two method books with flutist-composer Nicole Chamberlain: Beatboxing and Beyond and Into the Beyond. Published by Spotted Rocket, these books have been praised as "a revelation—a worthy addition to all our libraries" by Flutist Quarterly.
For more information, visit www.MaryMatthewsFlute.com
Nicole Chamberlain, Composer
Composer and flutist Nicole Chamberlain has a diverse career in the arts, earning dual bachelor’s degrees in music composition and digital media from the University of Georgia. Her original compositions are deeply influenced by storytelling and visual imagery from her previous work as a web animator and designer. Chamberlain’s music "heavily utilizes extended techniques [that] play into the theme or story of each piece to sonically enhance its meaning" (The Flute View). Her expertise as a performer also enriches her compositions, with critics noting that "being a virtuoso flautist herself has informed her ability to write for the instrument with thrilling facility and endearing charm" (Gramophone Magazine).
Chamberlain has received several awards, including the National Flute Association’s Newly Published Music Awards, the NFA Flute Choir Composition Competition, and the Areon Flutes International Composition Competition, among others. She has been commissioned by notable organizations such as the Atlanta Opera, Georgia Symphony Orchestra, Fort Dodge Area Symphony Orchestra, the Oklahoma Flute Society, Gonjiam Music Festival, Newfound Chamber Winds, and the Emory University Youth Symphony Orchestra.
For more information, visit www.nikkinotes.com.
Cherise Leiter, Composer
A composer whose output includes works for choir, piano, voice, band, orchestra, and assorted chamber ensembles; Cherise Leiter’s music has been performed throughout the United States and Europe.
Her cycle Love Letters from a War was a winner in the Boston Metro Opera competition, received an Honorable Mention from the 2010 NATS competition, and was a winner in Calliope’s Call 2023 Faces of War competition. American Folk Suite, a cycle for soprano and flute received a Merit Award from Boston Metro Opera and The Life in a Day for flute, guitar, and cello won the Flute New Music Chamber Music competition in 2017 and was recorded on the debut FNMC Presents album released in 2023. Two of her compositions were featured on the 2022 debut CD Reacting to the Landscape by the Whistling Hens. Her works were featured at the New Music Symposium in Colorado Springs, the University of Central Missouri’s New Music Festival, the Aspen Composer’s Conference, the Hartford (Connecticut) Women Composer Festival, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, the Music By Women Festival, Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts, June in Buffalo, and the Penn State New Music Festival. She currently teaches music theory and composition at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
She can be reached at LeiterLieder@gmail.com, or www.cherisedleiter.com.
Tyler Austin, Conductor
Dr. Tyler Austin (He/Him/His) works to redefine the role of the 21st-century wind conductor as Founding Artistic Director and Conductor of the Newfound Chamber Winds (NFCW), an international ensemble of performers who come together to present concerts and educational outreach programs. A committed advocate of new music, Dr. Austin has commissioned and premiered over 40 works for winds. In Summer 2016 he founded the NFCW Composer Commission Project to fund the composition of original works for chamber winds and produce professional recordings of these works.
Dr. Austin serves as Director of Bands in the F. Ludwig Diehn School of Music at Old Dominion University. Additionally, he is Director of Operations and Staff Conductor with the Vienna Contemporary Composers Festival in Vienna, Austria where he guest conducts the internationally acclaimed Ensemble PHACE. He is Director of the Conducting Program and Staff Conductor for the Sofia Symphonic Summit in Sofia, Bulgaria, where he lectures on conducting and leads the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra as part of their festival performance series dedicated to newly composed works.