Publication Date: Friday, March 18, 2005
Fans of the flute
Fans of the flute
(March 18, 2005) Local concert to benefit Northern California Flute Camp
by Robyn Israel
F or the last three summers, Adrian Sanborn has fraternized with a group of students who share his love of the flute. They meet for one week at a sublime setting in Carmel Valley, where they study the world's oldest instrument from an accomplished faculty.
"It's a conglomeration of flute dorks!" the Palo Alto High School sophomore said. "All the teachers and counselors are hilarious, the students are interesting and excellent fun to hang out with. Now when I practice flute, I really get down to work and really try to perfect the music."
Now in its 11th year, the Northern California Flute Camp serves as an adjunct to students' private flute lessons, providing individual coaching, master classes, solo recitals, flute choir and chamber-music group playing. The approximately 50 participants are middle and high-school students, with at least 25 percent coming from Palo Alto.
"I know of no other program exactly like it," director and co-founder Karen Van Dyke said. "The fact that our program focuses only on flute is a big draw, as we get into issues in classes and rehearsals that would never be covered in a camp that includes other instruments."
Van Dyke will perform this Saturday at a benefit concert for the camp that will take place at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Palo Alto. The concert will also feature flutist Gary Woodward and pianist Miles Graber, who both teach at the camp.
Woodward will perform on his vintage collection, which includes an old French flute made circa 1885, as well as 1939 and 1957 Powell flutes (Bostonian Verne Q. Powell hand-made flutes from 1927 through 1962). Woodward will perform the program's last piece on a Powell flute that was made just three years ago, to demonstrate the latest in the instrument's evolution.
The performers are representative of the camp's distinguished faculty. Woodward, the camp's assistant director, teaches on the faculties of USC, Biola University and Occidental College, and has performed as principal flutist with virtually every orchestra in the Los Angeles area. Graber, one of the camp's accompanists, is a retired physician who has established himself as a concert pianist with such luminaries as Itzhak Perlman and Camilla Wicks.
Alissa Bell, a Stanford freshman who attended the Northern California Flute Camp the last three years, has warm recollections of Graber's generosity.
"One of my fondest memories from camp is having impromptu "jam sessions" with Miles late at night after recitals. We would bring any pieces we wanted to play, from performance-ready works to pieces we just wanted to sight-read, and he would play the piano parts with us. Students waiting their turn would simply sit and listen to each other -- everyone was very supportive."
Bell currently performs in Stanford's flute ensemble (which Van Dyke directs) and takes lessons with Frances Blaisdell, the first woman to ever graduate from Juilliard (1931). Bell met the maverick musician at camp two years ago and was inspired by her determination to succeed in a male-dominated profession (Blaisdell applied to Juilliard using the name 'Francis,' hoping the school would grant her an audition). She eventually became the first female member of an American orchestra (Radio City Music Hall Orchestra) and the first female flutist of the New York Philharmonic.
"She's improved my playing with her high standards, wonderful sense of musicality and her immense collection of knowledge about music and flute playing," Bell said. "She's studied with some of the some of the most eminent figures in flute history, and created a very unusual -- and surely not easy -- life for herself, and I'm so honored to be able to study with her."
But it isn't only teachers who motivate students at camp.
"It is still a challenge to always find greater depth of expression and understanding in the works I am to perform," said Woodward, who has taught at the camp for seven years. "My students always inspire me to the same end."
When Van Dyke moved to California in 1990, the one thing she was sure she wanted was to become involved in a quality summer program.
"I had my greatest musical experiences both attending and teaching in music camps such as Interlochen and the Maryland Summer Center for the Arts."
In 1994 Van Dyke was invited to join the faculty of a small summer workshop held at Hidden Valley Music Seminars in Carmel Valley, where the late Julius Baker -- the most celebrated American flutist in history, according to Van Dyke -- had held his master classes for many years.
"It was evident to me right away that this program had immense potential, and we quickly adopted the name 'Northern California Flute Camp' and received backing from Hidden Valley. The camp took off immediately and we were able to provide a first-rate, intensive education in a nurturing, non-competitive, fun environment.
World-renowned artists, including Jeanne Baxtresser, former principal flutist with the New York Philharmonic, teach as guest artists.
"Despite her position in the music world, Ms. Baxtresser has an uncanny ability to make a student who plays for her in a master class feel totally at ease while offering a goldmine of information and advice," said Van Dyke, who also serves on the on the Stanford music department's flute faculty. "She is an extremely generous pedagogue who really cares about the next generation of flutists."
Many students return from camp feeling energized and inspired by their experience.
"After NCFC in 2003, I distinctly remember being inspired to play the "Concertino" by Cecile Chaminade," Sanborn said. "Ironically, that was considered the overplayed piece of the camp, but I liked it, so I learned it! From 2004 summer camp, I wanted to play "Poem" by Griffes -- which I did -- and "Hungarian Fantasy" by Doppler (which I did for a while by myself). At all the camps, I felt like I got really good exposure to a wide variety of pieces through the master classes given every day."
Scoring a position with an orchestra, however, is extremely competitive. Most organizations, Woodward said, carry only three or four contracted players and are looking for nothing short of perfection.
"I would say that in an average year there are only one to three openings throughout the country," Woodward said. "Two hundred will apply, 150 will audition (probably 130 of those could fill the job beautifully) -- one will win."
Neither Bell nor Sanborn will be vying for those coveted spots. Nevertheless, Bell said she intends to keep playing the flute throughout college and beyond.
"Since I'll probably major in physics instead, I need the flute to keep me sane amongst all the academic work."
What: A benefit concert for the Northern California Flute Camp, featuring flutists Gary Woodward and Karen Van Dyke and pianist Miles Graber.
Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto, 505 E. Charleston St. in Palo Alto
When: Saturday at 8 p.m. A silent auction will take place at 6:30 p.m. A buffet dinner will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Cost: Tickets are $25 general at the door; $20 in advance; $12 students at the door; $10 students in advance.
Info: Please visit www.flutecamp.com.
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