Bass Flute UNLEASHED
Dutch flutemaker Eva Kingma, revolutionized the mechanics of the entire flute family by creating a quarter-tone key system. She took that further by also creating an open-hole key system for the low flutes (alto, bass, contrabass). This system dramatically expands the sound capabilities, resulting in a powerful dynamic range, full quarter-tone scale, and virtually endless multiphonics options.
These are limiting factors on a traditional bass flute which have given rise to bass flute clichés, most notably a tendency to overuse percussive and airy sounds, leading to predictable gestures. With the open-hole Kingma bass flute, limitations disappear.
Bass Flute UNLEASHED is a long-term commissioning and collaboration project to fully explore the sonic possibilities of the open-hole Kingma Bass Flute.
UNLEASHED Trailer: New Music for Open Hole Bass Flute and Electronics
UNLEASHED launched with a evening-length staged production of five works for bass flute and electronics. This was supposrted with a project grant from NewMusic USA entitled: New Works for the Open-Hole Bass Flute. In this initial launch, composers Kyong Mee Choi, Eric Honour, and Morgan Krauss were commissioned.
Program
Morgan Krauss: Private Language as Torrid Language for bass flute and sound engineer
Kyong Mee Choi: Freed (2014) for bass flute and electronics
Wim Henderickx: On the Road for bass flute and electronics (US Premiere)
Francisco Castillo Trigueros: Sur les debris (2013) for bass flute and 4-channel electronics
Eric Honour: Stutter Edit for bass flute and electronics
Commissioned Works
Sur les debris (2013) for bass flute and 4-channel electronics | Francisco Castillo Trigueros
Freed (2014) for bass flute and electronics | Kyong Mee Choi
Stutter Edit (2014) for bass flute and electronics | Eric Honour
Private Language as Torrid Language (2014) for bass flute and sound engineer | Morgan Krauss
Spindle (2015) for solo bass flute | Timothy Page
Shadow Play (2016) for bass flute and electronics | Fredrick Gifford
atsiminimas (2016) for solo bass flute | Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf
breathwatersoundcanon (2020) for bass flute, electronics, and video | Iddo Aharony
The Rope Dancer Accompanies Herself With Her Shadows (2021) for quarter tone bass flute and live electronics | Jay Alan Yi
Isaac Newton in a Spaceship (2021) for bass flute and electronics | Blaise Ubaldini (FR/CH)
Commissions In Development: Stefano Pierini (IT), Lisa Renee Coons (US)
Interested in collaborating with me on a piece for this project? Email me!
Reference Materials
Here are some reference materials about my instruments, and the bass flute specifically. There are fingering charts and recordings of multiphonics that are special to my bass flute and make use of the open holes and quarter-tone keys.