The Atlantic Flute Society

Sonata in C major, attributed to J.S. Bach: 1st mvt.: Hold the flute parallel to the floor, don't roll in.  Using middle D to work on sound: the flute floats in front of the face with no pressure; fill yourself up with air and just let that pressure push the air out naturally without force.  Three stages of exhalation: 1. Just relaxing - controlled relaxing. 2. Equal pressure inside and outside. 3. Pushing the last of the air out.  Play the simple skeletal structure notes of the melody first, and then play the full version with all the written-in ornamental notes -- this way, the shape and structure of the phrases become clearer.  Think bigger phrase structures and insert breaths accordingly.  Don't breathe before the high C of the first line.  This work was likely written by a Bach son or Michel Haydn.  Think about how the composer prepares us for things that don't arrive the way we think they will -- deception -- lines spin on for longer -- think about these structures.  Left foot forward.  2nd mvt.: play around with adding some slurs -- where you want to draw the listener's attention?  You can add a slur at the pinnacle of phrases too (like the lowest dip near the end).  Exaggerate the dynamics when you have echo passages that you can play in block dynamics of forte and piano -- Paulo had a very funny analogy for sudden block dynamics, that of the character of Grover from the children's classic show Sesame Street demonstrating the concepts of "near" and "far": Grover runs up close to the camera for a goofy and loud "near", then scurries away to wave from a soft and distant "far".

At the end of the masterclass and workshop, Dorothy spoke about composing for the flute and about her piece, Mirage II, that Paolo would perform on the concert.  For her, the extended techniques were not "effects" but integral aspects of the flute sound, as she was so accustomed to hearing Paulo practicing at home.  Paolo demonstrated some of the techniques in Mirage II, such as tremolos, manipulation of the harmonic series, percussive attacks, etc., working with a wide range of colours to take on a musical idea, making it by turns lyrical and aggressive with different combinations of techniques.

Bravo to the students who participated in the masterclass and the workshop: Devon Koeller, Grace Baker, Jennifer Gaugh, Jessica Brown, and Melissa Richmond.  Special thanks are due to Beth Du Bois for her oranisational and conducting skills, and to the assistance of Ruth Böggild, Sandra Britten and Jennifer Publicover.  The Atlantic Flute Society gratefully acknowledges the contributions of: Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture and Heritage, Culture Division; the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts; the Maritime Conservatory Faculty Association; Buckley's Music; and Musicstop.

Photos kindly provided by Beth Du Bois.


Raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Paulo has become known as a passionate and provocative performer of a wide range of musical styles, with a particular emphasis on contemporary music.  Currently second flutist of the Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra, Paolo appears regularly with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and has served as principal flute with the BC Chamber Orchestra, the Interlochen Arts Camp Orchestra, the Ensemble de Musique Contemporaine, as well as second flute with the Evansville Philharmonic.  Recent chamber performances include appearances with the Turning Point Ensemble, the Vancouver Chamber Woodwind Quintet, as well as with the Continuum Consort in Victoria in collaboration with the Korean composers' group Delos.  As co-founder and flutist of the Kylix New Music Ensemble, Paolo appeared with the ensemble at music festivals and in cities across the United States.  During its five-year tenure, Kylix permiered numerous works commissioned by the ensemble, and performed an impressive repertoire ranging from 20th century masterworks to new collaborative projects with emerging young composers.

An active soloist, Paolo has performed recitals throughout North America, several of which have been broadcast by CBC and SRC radio.  The many festivals in which he has appeared include Sarasota, Norfolk, Bowdoin, Domain Forget, Orford, Aristoxenos, as well as the Banff Festival of Arts and the Scotia Festival of Music.  He has appeared in recordings for the Elf label, and is a featured soloist in an upcoming Centredisc release of Stephen Chatman's music.  In his pursuit to bring contemporary music to a wider audience, Paolo has premiered over fifty solo and chamber works to date, and has had more than a dozen works written for him.

Paolo has served on the faculty of the Interlochen Arts Camp and was Associate Instructor of Flute at Indiana University for five years.  He has presented masterclasses on contemporary flute technique as well as traditional flute repertoire at universities and schools in the US and Canada, including a contemporary techniques workshop as part of the 2004 Albany Symphony Orchestra Keys American Music Festival.  Paolo received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Ottawa and a Master's degree from the Indiana University School of Music, where he is a doctoral candidate in flute performance.  His principal teachers have included Robert Cram, Robert Aitken and Thomas Robertello.

Described as "evocative and kaleidoscopic", the music of Dorothy Chang has been performed by ensembles including the Albany Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, Queens Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Aspen Concert Orchestra, American Composers and New World Youth orchestras chamber concerts, Collage New Music, eighth blackbird, North / South Consonance, Kylix New Music Ensemble, and TONK.  She has received commissions from the Canada Council, Chamber Music America, the Barlow Endowment, the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, Columbus State University Wind Ensemble and the Chicago Saxophone Quartet, among others.  Her music has been performed in Asia, Europe and across North America in concerts and at music festivals including Aspen, Banff, Bowdoin, Norfolk, Scotia, the Ernest Bloch Festival, and the Are You Brave, Too? New Music Festival.

Dorothy has been recognised through honours and awards including a Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, awards from the International Alliance of Women in Music, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Mu Phi Epsilon, the National Society of Arts and Letters, Meet the Composer, the Chicago Civic Orchestra Reading Sessions and the Jacob Druckman Orchestra Prize from the Aspen Music Festival.  She has held residencies at the Banff Centre for the Arts, MacDowell Colony, Ragdale Foundation, Atlantic Center for the Arts and the Lancaster Music Festival.  For the 2003-2004 season, Dorothy was the Music Alive composer-in-residence of the Albany Symphony Orchestra (New York).  She has recently been awarded an extended three-year residency with the orchestra to begin September 2005.  Upcoming projects include a new flute concerto entitled Flight to be premiered by Paolo Bortolussi and the Albany Symphony Orchestra in February 2006.

Dorothy began her music studies on piano at age six and began composing at the age of fourteen.  She received degrees in composition from the University of Michigan (B.M., M.A.) and the Indian University School of Music (D.M.).  She has served on the music faculty of Indian State University and is presently Assistant Professor of Music at the University of British Columbia.  Dorothy is also delighted to be a newly admitted Associate Composer to the Canadian Music Centre.