Flute Summer Course 2008 in Spain

The 17th international Flute Summer Course "For the Contemporary Flutist" by Wil Offermans will be held from August 23rd until 30th, 2008 in a renovated antique olive-mill in Sayalonga (Malaga), Spain. In this wonderful and inspiring ambiance and a climate of dynamic nature and cultural inspiration Offermans conducts the course, sharing his contemporary approach on flute playing. Main material will be the book For the Contemporary Flutist. Also included will be topics like:

extended techniques, like bamboo tones, harmonics, circular breathing, multi-phonics and whisper tones
sound development
body movement
improvisation in performance and education
ensemble playing
ethnic flutes

The course is open for flute students, flutists and flute teachers, with or without experience in contemporary music. The total fee including all lessons, all the meals and lodging is 475 euro (425 euro if under 25 years). Maximum number of participators is 20. More information and registration at www.flutesummercourse.com.

Update: no more places available - the course is fully booked.

Upcoming/Recent Master Classes

Click on the event name to see a photo report of a specific event:

01/02.11.08 - Belgium Flute Festival, Royal Conservatory, Brussels, Belgium
12.11.08 - Senzoku University, Kawasaki, Japan
05/06.05.08 - Thessaloniki University, Greece (supported by the Music Center The Netherlands)

For more information about master classes / workshops by Wil Offermans click here.

Upcoming/Recent Flute Day events

Click on the event name to see a photo report of a specific event:

06.12.08 - BSXCaravan, Tokyo, Japan
03/04.10.2008 - Muziekscholen Opus 3, Dokkum en De Waldsang, Buitenpost, Holland
13/14.03.08 - Conservatorio Profesional de Cordoba, Spain
08/09.03.08 - Muziekschool Hilvarenbeek, Holland
01/02.02.08 - Escuela Municipal de Música Diego de Salazar de Estepa, Spain

For more information about the Flute Day by Wil Offermans click here.

Japan Tour Nov-Dec 2008

Wil Offermans will be touring in Japan for performances with the duo Ueda/Offermans and the BSXCaravan project and as a organizer for 12xHolland. A schedule overview:

12.11.08 - Senzoku University, Kanagawa, workshop/concert
14.11.08 - Kofukuji, Nagasaki - duo/BSXCaravan
16.11.08 - Ikitsuki, Nagasaki - 12xHolland/BSXCaravan
18.11.08 - Hirado, Nagasaki - 12xHolland/BSXCaravan
22.11.08 - Tosu, Saga, BSXCaravan
24.11.08 - Musashi-Murayama, Tokyo - BSXCaravan
25.11.08 - Musashi-Murayama, Tokyo - duo concert (option)
28.11.08 - Kyoto - duo concert (option)
30.11/01.12.08 - Kamiyama-cho, Tokushima, BSXCaravan
06.11.08 - Higashi-Murayama, Tokyo - BSXCaravan
07.11.08 - Tsuruoka, duo concert (optional)

2nd Belgium Flute Festival, Brussels

On the 1st and 2nd of November 2008 the 2nd Belgium Flute Festival will take place at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. Here Wil Offermans present a concert as well as a combination of workshops and master-classes around his materials, including circular breathing; contemporary flute techniques; ensemble pieces; ensemble games; Honami; Tsuru-no-Sugomori; and For the Contemporary Flutist. Other guests at the festival include Piere-Yves Artaud (Fr); Paul Edmund-Davies (GB); Gilles Cottin (Fr); Vicens Prats (E) and Lukasz Dlugosz (Pl). The festival is organised by Adams Muziekcentrale Holland. More information and registration can be found here.

Troubadours Caravane Project

This summer Wil Offermans joins a special project combining occidental and oriental troubadour art-styles in both music and poetry: Troubadours Caravane. The ensemble is created around the Troubadours Art Ensemble directed by Gérard Zuchetto. The project is organised by Trob'Art Productions. The Troubadours Caravane Ensemble consists of: Gérard Zuchetto (voice; direction); Sandra Hurtado-Rós (voice); Junko Ueda (voice/satsuma-biwa); Fawzy Al-Aiedy (voice/ud); Denise Dowling (recorders); Wil Offermans (flutes); Veronique Condesse (harp); Patrice Villaumé (hurdy gurdy); Frédéric Bousquet (crystal-Baschet); Jean Jacques Kotto-Bekima (stick-guitar); Thierry Gomar (percussion); and Michel Raji (dance). For this project Wil Offermans has composed the piece Ginyu with lyrics by Junko Ueda. The concerts will take place in the south of France. The schedule for 2008 is:

5 July: Prieuré de Marcevol, Arboussols, Pyrénées Orientales, France
6 July: Abbaye de Gellone, St. Guilhem le Désert, Hérault, France
24 July: Amphitheatre Fin Amor, Festival Occitano Estivada, Rodez, Aveyron, France
25 July: Parvis de l'ecole de Musique, Anduze, Gard, France
31 July: Eglise Saint-Joseph, Vebron, Lozére, France
1 Augusts: Eglise Saint-Joseph, Vebron, Lozére, France
2 Augusts: L'abbaye de Lagrasse, Lagrasse, Aude, France

London performance of Honami by Wissam Boustany

On May 22nd Offermans' composition Honami has been performed with great success at the St John's Smith Square, London by Wissam Boustany (flute professor at London's Trinity College of Music). The online MusicWeb (Carla Rees) wrote about the concert:
"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." Another exciting review appeared at the online Musical Pointers.

Tour to Larissa/Thessaloniki, Greece

From April 29 until May 7 Wil Offermans will be on tour in Greece. The tour is financially supported by the Music Center The Netherlands:

April 30 till May 2: Flute Meeting Larissa
May 3: flute demonstration at Music Shop DoReMi, Thessaloniki.
May 5 and 6: flute workshop at the Thessaloniki University for flute students from Thessaloniki University and Corfu University.

Austria Tour: 9-17 Nov. 2007

November 9 until 17 Wil Offermans was in Austria (Vienna and Burgenland) for a series of teaching events, a combination of Flute Days and workshops. Click on the event name to see a photo report of a specific event:

Nov. 10: Workshop for flute teachers at the Franz Schubert Musikschule, Hinterbrühl	Nov. 11: Flute Day at Kottingbrunn / Musikschule Bad Vöslau	Nov. 13: Flute Workshop at the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna	Nov. 14: Workshop for flute teachers at the Wiener Musikschule

Nov. 15: Flute Day at the Wiener Musikschule	Nov. 16: Flute Day at the Musikschule Grosspetersdorf, Burgenland	Nov. 17: Flute Day at the Musikschule Podersdorf, Burgenland

New Japan Project: BSXCaravan

In October 2007, Wil Offermans initiated, together with Junko Ueda, a new intercultural Japan project. This project, named BSXCaravan (short for 'Body & Soul Experience Caravan') presents a chain of workshops and concerts throughout Japan by the duo Ueda/Offermans in collaboration with several guest artists. This year was the pilot-edition with guest artists Annelinde de Jong (painter) and Ans Kanen (modern dance) with performances in Sasebo and Tokyo. More about BSXCaravan at the official site: http://www.bsxcaravan.com

Master Class The Hague Royal Conservatory, Holland

Duo for Contrabass Flute and Stone

Duo for Contrabass Flute and Stone: a Piece for Peace by Wil Offermans, published by Zimmermann Verlag. Premiered at the NFA Flute Convention, Las Vegas, USA, August 2003.