Christian Delafontaine, Principal Flutist of the Lucerne Festival Strings (Switzerland) will present a Flute Master Class and Concert at SIU on Monday, February 27. The Master Class begins at 5 p.m. in Altgeld Hall, and will offer tips and suggestions aimed toward improving flute playing skills. The Class fees are $10 for students of any age, and $20 for adults. To register, please download our event brochure and complete the registration form. Walk-in registrations will also be accepted.
The Concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Old Baptist Foundation Recital Hall. Mr. Delafontaine will play works accompanied by Dr. Eric Lenz (cello) and Dr. Douglas Worthen (flute), both of SIU’s School of Music. The Concert admission fees are $6 for students and $12 for adults, except Master Class registrants will be admitted free.
Both the Master Class and Concert are partially funded by a grant from The Brannen-Cooper Fund at Brannen Brothers Flutemakers, Inc.
Mr. Delafontaine is a Swiss flutist – pianist – conductor of remarkable talent. He studied flute with Andre Pepin at the Geneva Conservatory, graduating in 1975, and was a finalist in the Montreux International Competition the following year. He attended Master Classes with Alain Marion and William Bennett in Canada, and toured the United States and Europe as Principal Flute of the Orchestra Jeunesses Musicales under the direction of Leonard Bernstein. In 1977 he became Principal Flute of the Orchestra of Lucerne, Switzerland.
Mr. Delafontaine has presented many solo recitals in Russia, the United States and Europe in collaboration with harp, string quartet and piano.
His discography includes recordings of C.P.E. Bach, the quartets of Mozart, works for flute and organ, and modern works by Russian composers.
He has been artistic director and conductor of the City Orchestra of Yverdon, Switzerland for the past ten years. He has taught at the Conservatory of Neuchatel, and maintains an active private studio. He presently performs with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Zurich Camerata and Lucerne Festival Strings.
