41 Facts About Emmanuel Pahud

Emmanuel Pahud's father is of French and Swiss background and his mother is French.

Emmanuel Pahud plays in diverse music genres, whether baroque, jazz, contemporary, classical, orchestral, or chamber music.

Emmanuel Pahud's father worked for a US company, and the family moved repeatedly during his childhood.

Only six weeks after Emmanuel Pahud was born, his parents moved to Baghdad for one year.

That Christmas, after receiving his first flute, Emmanuel Pahud began his first year of lessons with Philippe and the next three years with Phillipe's father, Francois.

In 1978, at the age of eight, the Emmanuel Pahud family moved to Brussels, Belgium.

Emmanuel Pahud then began studying at the Music Academy of Uccle in Southern Brussels.

Emmanuel Pahud remained in Brussels until receiving his A-Level at the age of 17 and went off to finish his schooling in Paris.

Emmanuel Pahud attended the Conservatoire de Paris in France, studying with Michel Debost, Alain Marion, Pierre-Yves Artaud, and Christian Larde.

In 1988, Emmanuel Pahud won the 2nd Prize at the International Scheveningen Music Competition in Scheveningen, Netherlands.

Emmanuel Pahud held the principal flautist position at the Munich Philharmonic under Sergiu Celibidache.

Emmanuel Pahud graduated at the age of 20 from the Conservatoire in 1990, obtaining the First Prize.

Emmanuel Pahud then continued to advance his studies for the next two years in style and interpretation with one of France's greatest flautists, Swiss-born Aurele Nicolet, who turned out to be his neighbour.

Emmanuel Pahud attributes achieving both the first prize at le Concours International de Geneve and being appointed for the position at the age of 22 by BPO's conductor, Claudio Abbado, to his experience with Nicolet.

Emmanuel Pahud entered the orchestra during its rejuvenation period as the post-war generation of players began to retire.

Over 40 per cent, including Emmanuel Pahud's position was up for audition, or on trial.

Emmanuel Pahud was surprised on how emotional it was to leave the BPO.

Emmanuel Pahud recalls his emotions beginning a couple of hours before playing his last concert and only leaving him once he rejoined BPO in 2002.

The versatility and authority of current conductor Sir Simon Rattle, says Emmanuel Pahud, gives the orchestra a unique working partnership and a capacity to be more adventurous in its exploration of repertoire.

Emmanuel Pahud shared the principal flute position with Mathieu Dufour until 2022, when Dufour was replaced by Sebastian Jacot.

Emmanuel Pahud's workload has more than tripled since the early days of his international career in 1992.

Emmanuel Pahud says that it's a balance he has had all his life and what prevents him from being isolated in one genre or repertoire of music, or what he calls "a musical corner".

In 1993, Emmanuel Pahud began accepting international concert performances soon after settling into his position in Berlin.

Emmanuel Pahud has appeared as soloist with internationally renowned orchestras in addition to the Berlin Philharmonic: the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Geneva Camerata the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Danish Radio Symphony known as the Danish National Symphony Orchestra.

Emmanuel Pahud appears regularly at leading festivals throughout Europe, the United States and the Far East.

Emmanuel Pahud is a dedicated chamber musician and has recently made international appearances throughout Europe, North America and Japan in recital with pianists Eric Le Sage and Stephen Kovacevich as well as in a flute and string quartet formation with Christoph Poppen, Hariolf Schichtig and Jean-Guihen Queyras with whom he recorded his 1999 record Mozart Flute Quartets.

Emmanuel Pahud has made several recordings and performed internationally with pianist Eric Le Sage throughout his career.

Emmanuel Pahud returned to the Festival on 2009 to play in a series of concerts.

Emmanuel Pahud describes his versatility over the years in music, as transforming himself into a chameleon who tries to match the colour of the music, or the idea he has of it, to what the composer had in mind.

Whilst working with German Composer, Matthias Pintscher, Emmanuel Pahud sought to explore a new level and style of playing the flute.

Emmanuel Pahud sees the term "tradition" as often being used to disguise the past, a lack of evolution or in denial of progress.

In terms of style of the Dalbavie concerto itself, Emmanuel Pahud reflects how the flute finds a resonance within the orchestra whilst maintaining its virtuosic, colourful and sensual phrasing.

Emmanuel Pahud was able to perform admirable phrases that never seemed to end, or how the breathing faded into the musical flow; and his ability to make the sound of the flute seem to extend endlessly, infinitely.

Emmanuel Pahud has explored jazz further through performing big band music with friends and colleagues from the Berlin Philharmonic and local jazz musicians.

Emmanuel Pahud reflects on his audiences being able to learn about music at his performances; it is about reacting at different levels and ranges of emotions.

Emmanuel Pahud wants to open opportunities in developing curiosity to discover more about music as a way of giving back to the audience.

Emmanuel Pahud extended his contract with EMI for a further six years.

Emmanuel Pahud previously played on a 14-karat golden flute which he bought from Brannen Brothers in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1989 with money he won from competitions.

Emmanuel Pahud chose the Brannen flute body because it is one of the only flute makers that produce a decent Cooper scale, based on the scales developed by Albert Cooper.

Emmanuel Pahud now plays a solid 14-karat Haynes flute with a pinless mechanism, having previously played a solid 14-karat Brannen-Cooper flute with a Sheridan head joint from 1989 to 2012.

Emmanuel Pahud has two sons, Gregoire and Tristan, from a former marriage.