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Baroque Flutist Kate Clark "Followed a Sound"

Recently, I had the immense pleasure of meeting Kate Clark, an Australian early flutist based in Europe. She was in Bloomington preparing a recital with the lutenist Nigel North and took a little time out to come to the WFIU Studios to be interviewed for an upcoming program.

Kate's stories were lovely, vibrant, and humorous (you could easily relate to them).

She began the interview by recalling the way in which she was introduced to the baroque flute in college (more an academic requirement than an option) and the person who was her first inspiration, a self-taught and eccentric Aussie with excellent musical instincts.

And that was just the beginning.

She also talked about her European studies on the baroque and Renaissance flutes, her musical influences, the many ensembles with which she's performed, and her recordings. She also gave us quite a bit of detail on how she came to start a Renaissance flute consort. As with many successful professionals, she had a little help along way.

Today, Kate has a reputation as a fine early flutist who is, along with Barthold Kuijken and Wilbert Hazelzet, a highly sought-after teacher on faculty at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague.

She continues to perform with prominent period ensembles in Europe and Australia and regularly records with a number of them.

Her Renaissance flute ensemble, The Attaigant Consort, released their first CD not long ago and will be heading back into the studio within the coming year to record a second. Kate's duo with Nigel North will also bear recording fruits in the near future with what most likely be the first recording of a program entirely devoted to their special combination of instruments.

Kate will be featured later this season on Harmonia's continuing Great Musicians Series (you'll have to wait to hear the show). Until then, have a listen to Kate talk about how, by pure coincidence, she was inspired to study in The Hague (located at the top of the post).

Here's Kate Clark performing with the fortepianist Zvi Meniker in a movement from C.P.E. Bach's sonata in C major, Wq 73:

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