Honami
for flute solo
by Wil Offermans

Published by Musikverlag Zimmermann (ZM 30730)
- instrumentation: flute solo
- duration: 7 minutes
- score: 3 pages
- text in: English, German and French
- year of publication: 1994

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Honami

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In the Japanese language many words are made by combining two characters. Honami is a word that combines the characters of ho and nami. Ho means ear (e.g. of a corn) and nami means wave. Together they refer to the waving scenery one can see when the wind blows over a blooming rice field. Here, the wind is the cause, the rice field is the medium and the waving movement is the consequential result.
In Honami, the flutist is supposed to use his breath in a similar way. Allow your breathing (the in- as well as exhaling) to profile the timing and sonority. Regard this piece as a possibility to develop and expose the breathing. For Honami, your breath is the cause, the score is the medium and the sound of the flute is the consequential result.

Honami has been recorded by Wil Offermans on the CD The Magic Flute (CD E-971, E-records).

Honami has been performed by many renowned flutists around the world including: Wissam Boustany, Leone Buyse, Alberto Almarza, Amy Porter and Nicole Esposito. The online MusicWeb (Carla Rees) wrote about the Honami performance by Wissam Boustany at St. John's, London:

"For me, the highlight of the concert was Boustany’s astonishing performance of Wil Offermans’ Honami for solo flute. The simple melodic lines were beautifully shaped, and the quiet atmospheric soundscape was exquisite in the hands of Boustany."