Emmanuel Pahud: Biography, Career, and Legacy

Emmanuel Pahud, a Franco-Swiss flutist, is known for his versatility as a performer, demonstrating his talent and skills as a soloist and chamber musician. Enchanted by the flute sounds from an early age, he was determined to become a flutist and pursued his goal by studying at the Conservatoire de Paris and taking lessons from the best flutists. In this article, we will explore his creative journey from the beginning to present days. 

Early Life and His Interest in Flute 

Emmanuel Pahud was born on January 27, 1970 in Geneva, Switzerland in a family of French and Swiss background, but neither of his parents was a musician. However, at the age of four, Emmanuel was enchanted with the sounds of the flute. It happened when his parents lived in Rome, in the same apartment building with the Swiss-French Binet family whose children played musical instruments. Their eldest son, Philippe, masterfully played the Flute Concerto of Mozart, which immediately captured Emmanuel’s attention and sparked his desire to play like him. 

Emmanuel received his first flute as Christmass present in 1974 and started to take lessons from 15-year-old Philippe and his father. Four years later, after Emmanuel’s family moved to Brussels, Belgium, he began studying at the Music Academy of Uccle in Southern Brussels. There he improved his technique, refining it to a high level. 

Studying and Early Success

Pahud became a winner of the National Competition of Belgium in 1985. The same year he played his first concert with the National Orchestra of Belgium. In 1988, Emmanuel received the 2nd Prize at the International Scheveningen Music Competition in the Netherlands. 

Until the age of 17, Emmanuel stayed in Brussels, however, once he received A-Level he continued his studies in Paris. He graduated at the age of 20 from the Conservatoire and continued his studies further. His family always supported his endeavours and made it possible for him to take lessons with the finest European players, including Peter-Lukas Graf and Aurèle Nicolet 

In 1992, a 22-year-old Emmanuel under the guidance of Aurèle Nicolet was preparing for the Geneva International Music Competition and the position of principal flutist of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. This preparation took 10 days but he managed to achieve both goals — the first prize at le Concours International de Genève and the appointment for the position. 

Great Breakthrough with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

The position of the principal flutist at the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) became a milestone for Emmanuel's career as he started to gain international recognition. He liked this orchestra for its unique sound experience with a dynamic range, which had no equal. Back then, Emmanuel was the youngest player in the Berlin Philharmonic, but held the position until 2002, when Sir Simon Rattle took over. It was a very emotional experience to leave the orchestra, as years spent there provided Emmanuel with unforgettable memories and skills. 

Having started in 1992, his international career got more and more intense. Emmanuel played at least 50 concerts a year at that time and gradually, balancing between his solo career and involvement with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the number of concerts grew to 160 a year. This was a very heavy workload, however it helped Emmanuel to develop as a versatile musician instead of getting trapped in one genre or repertoire. 

Since 1993, Emmanuel Pahud played concerts as a soloist with a number of well-known orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and more. He performed on the stages of famous festivals in Europe, the United States and the Far East. 

During 2005–2008, he performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and many more. Pahud also had a U.S. tour with the Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra.

In 2008 Emmanuel performed for the first time at the Jerusalem International Chamber Music Festival, playing an Elliot Carter's Flute Concerto. His most recent collaborations feature performances with Utah Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Kammerorchester Potsdam, the Orchestre National de Bordeaux Aquitaine, Orquesta Sinfonica de Valencia, and SWR Baden-Baden.

As a chamber musician, he recently travelled throughout cities of Europe, North America and Japan with pianists Éric Le Sage and Stephen Kovacevich. He engaged in a flute and string quartet with Christoph Poppen, Hariolf Schichtig, and Jean-Guihen Queyras.

Emmanuel Pahud’s Style 

Pahud is known for his versatility. For this reason he describes himself as a chameleon whose playing matches the colours of various music and composer’s ideas. Emmanuel never represented a particular national style. Regarding being a performer or a creator, he believes he is more a performer. During his collaboration with German Composer, Matthias Pintscher, Pahud experimented with new styles of playing the flute, creating a lot of different sounds on an instrument and combining them in one powerful musical statement. 

Emmanuel Pahud and Jazz

He made his debut into the world of jazz with his collaboration with jazz pianist Jacky Terrasson. In addition to that, Emmanuel was also inspired by musicians such as Herbie Mann, James Newton, James Moody, and more. He delved deeper into jazz by playing this music with his friends and colleagues from the Berlin Philharmonic as well as with local musicians. 

No matter in what style Emmanuel performed, jazz or classical, his playing was never limited only to entertainment. He managed to evoke reactions and emotions on various levels, perfectly establishing a contact with the audience. Pahud has always shown interest in how music gives back to the audience.

Emmanuel Pahud and His Legacy

Pahud has a great collection of recordings, featuring his versatile repertoire including the flute parts in symphonic, chamber, and string settings. His repertoire is rooted in baroque and classical flute music, but Emmanuel never limited himself only to that. He played the flute for many romantic works. His legacy includes more than 20 recordings, which were praised by critics and rewarded with awards. 

Emmanuel Pahud as a Teacher

These days Emmanuel teaches at the Karajan-Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker. From time to time he holds masterclasses on his tours. Because of the intense touring schedule he has no time to offer private lessons, but he has plenty of online masterclasses available on  Playwithapro.com.

Conclusion 

Pahud is known both for his orchestral work as a soloist and chamber musician. He has two dozen albums, demonstrating his ability to adapt to various musical styles like a chameleon. Despite having no musical background, he managed to become a successful flutist who played with world-famous orchestras. 

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