Emmanuel Pahud (CH)

About

Emmanuel Pahud is the kind of flutist who makes you forget the flute is even an instrument in the conventional sense. The Swiss born virtuoso became principal flutist of the Berlin Philharmonic at just 22, appointed by Claudio Abbado in 1992, stepping into a chair once held by legends like Aurèle Nicolet and James Galway. He trained at the Conservatoire de Paris, won major international competitions in Duino, Kobe and Geneva, and arrived at the BPO during a generational shift that saw over 40 percent of the orchestra's seats turn over. What sets Pahud apart is his range. He moves comfortably between baroque, classical, jazz, contemporary and chamber music, something The Guardian marked as signalling the arrival of a new master flautist. After stepping back from the Berlin Philharmonic to focus on his solo career and teaching in Geneva, he eventually returned to the orchestra. He records for EMI, now Warner, and has performed on stages and festivals across the world.