Wil Offermans
The Dutch flutist-composer Wil Offermans is known as an acclaimed expert on promoting the extended flute techniques to a wider audience through his compositions, concerts, workshops, courses and website forthecontemporaryflutist.com. He broadened his creative and contemporary approach during his tours around the world, especially to Asia and Japan. His compositions have been frequently performed by distinguished flutists and flute ensembles around the world. Thank you for visiting this website.
Wil Offermans graduated from the Brabants Conservatory, Holland (1983), in classical flute (Cecilia Oomes; Lucius Voorhorst; Raymond Delnoye) as well as in improvised music (Willem Kühne). In 1982 he made a study-tour to the USA meeting numerous flutists including Robert Dick, Leone Buyse, James Newton and Hubert Laws. 1985/1986 He made a seven month world-wide flute-performance titled Round About 12.5. This solo project took him to 18 countries (in Europe, Africa, Asia, North and South America) not only for concerts, but also to research many ethnic flutes. He has performed his music extensively in many different situations all over the world, both as a soloist as well as with musicians like Kazushi Saito; Tetsu Saito; Mototeru Takagi; Michihiro Sato; Sawai Kazue; Takehisa Kosugi; Llorenc Barber; Paul Termos; Jack Palinckx a.o. With Junko Ueda (biwa & voice) he performed e.g. all over Europe, in the US and Canada, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Colombia and Indonesia at festivals like Festival d'été de Quebec; Musique Action Nancy and the Singapore Festival of Arts. He has been awarded with the Kuiper prize 2002 of the Dutch Flute Society. In 2014 he composed Eternal Winds for 500 flutes for the anniversary concert of the Dutch Flute Academy of Emily Beynon.
Creations
Compositions The compositions by Wil Offermans have been published by Musikverlag Zimmermann (Germany); Doblinger (Austria); Zen-on (Japan) and Sejong Publishers (Korea). Various of his compositions have been awarded by the Newly Published Music Committee of the National Flute Association in the USA. Find an overview of all his compositions here.
Recordings Offermans recorded on E-Records, BVHaast, and VDE-Gallo. Find an overview of his CDs and LPs here.
Featured Video
Tsuru-no-Sugomori, Wil Offermans, Trinity College London
A live video of Wil Offermans performing his arrangement of the Japanese shakuhachi piece 'Tsuru-no-Sugomori' during his solo recital at the flute festival for the British Flute Society / Trinity Laban College, at the St. Alfege Church, Greenwich, London.
Intercultural
With the intention to stimulate the contemporary and intercultural approach concerning flute playing he created the foundation The Magic Flute and a flute ensemble, which toured Japan in 1997. In 1998 he founded the Contemporary European Flute Ensemble eWave, uniting players from all over Europe. In 2001 he composed the citizens involving Dejima Suite for the celebration of the 400 year relationship Holland-Japan (Nagasaki). In 2003, eWave started a European project with GRAME, Lyon (5 new European live-electronic compositions), for which he composed OnTheMove (commission Gaudeamus).
Offermans also has been active in a wider cultural field of promoting and producing multicultural art projects especially towards Japan. From 2000 till 2010 he was initiator and organizer of the annual intercultural project 12xHolland introducing Dutch artists to Japan. In 2003 he started a working studio in Granada, Spain. In 2007 he initiated another intercultural project with Japan named BSXCaravan.
Classes and Workshops
Offermans has given his flute workshops in numerous settings including the Hague Royal Conservatory, Holland; Guildhall School of Music, London, UK; Trinity College of Music, London, UK; RNCM, Manchester, UK; Hochschule Hamburg, Germany; Conservatoire Royal de Mons, Belgium; University of Music, Vienna, Austria; New England Conservatory Boston, USA; University of Michigan, USA; Kunitachi College of Music Tokyo, Japan; Shanghai Conservatory, China; Seoul University, Korea; German Flute Festival, (Freiburg; Frankfurt); Flute Festival Boswil, Switzerland; the NFA Flute Conventions (New Orleans; Las Vegas; Boston) and the Japan Flute Convention 2003 (Fukuoka). In 2001, he was a flute teacher at the Brabants Conservatory, Holland. Since more than 15 years Offermans has been presenting a Flute Day for amateur groups and children, especially at music schools throughout Europe. Since 1992 he is organizing an annual Flute Summer Course. Since 1997 he developed the Thumpy® flute: an exciting thumb flute for educational as well as performance purpose and an enjoyable alternative for both children as well as flutists.
Flutes
Wil Offermans currently is performing on the following instruments:
- Gold Flute: by Kotato & Fukushima; 18K gold; open-holes; B-foot joint; additional open-thumb (idea and design by Wil Offermans)
- Silver Flute: by Haynes in 1963; open-holes; B-foot joint; additional open-thumb; Lafin headjoint
- Bass Flute: by Kotato & Fukushima; B-foot-joint; open-keys (thumb; A; G and E); trill-keys
- Contrabass Flute: by Kotato & Fukushima, B-foot-joint; trill-keys
- Thumpy the Thumb Flute: by Wil Offermans; serial# 1; blackwood; (see Thumpy website).
Photo Download
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Websites on Wil Offermans
Checkout other websites by Wil Offermans. Here an overview:
AnnouncementInformatieInformativaAnnouncement
CD Daily Sensibilities
Wil Offermans performing the etudes of 'For the Contemporary Flutist' Wil Offermans speelt zijn etudes van 'For the Contemporary Flutist' Wil Offermans interpreta sus estudios de 'For the Contemporary Flutist' Wil Offermans performing the etudes of 'For the Contemporary Flutist'
CD Made in Japan
Wil Offermans performing his book 'Made in Japan' with Japanese karaoke inspired compositions Wil Offermans speelt zijnboek 'Made in Japan' met op Japanse karaoke geïnspireerde composities Wil Offermans presenta su libro 'Made in Japan' con composiciones inspiradas en el karaoke japonés Wil Offermans presenta su libro "Made in Japan" con composiciones inspiradas en el karaoke japonés
CD How to Survive in Paradise
Duo CD by the Japanese-Dutch Duo Ueda Offermans (voice, satsuma-biwa, flutes, live-electronics) Duo CD van het Japans-Nederlandse Duo Ueda Offermans (zang, satsuma-biwa, fluiten, live-elektronica) Dúo CD del japonés-holandés Dúo Ueda Offermans (voz, satsuma-biwa, flautas, electrónica en vivo) Duo CD by the Japanese-Dutch Duo Ueda Offermans (voice, satsuma-biwa, flutes, live-electronics)