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  • Writer: Serena Huang
    Serena Huang
  • Apr 8

This is the story of Pan – half goat, half human, and god of the flute. 


The goats lie asleep on the mountain. They open their eyes, and, ecstatic with the realization that they are alive, they dance. When they’ve exhausted themselves after a day in the sun, they doze back off. Perfect harmony.


[Honegger: Danse de la Chevre]


Pan is like these goats – free and in harmony with nature. But he is also like us – with the desire to create, to control, to possess.


One day, as Pan is wandering the forest, he comes across a beautiful wood nymph. The most beautiful creature he’s ever seen. He admires her from afar, inspired by how in tune with nature she is. He feels a deep connection and calls to her, but she doesn’t respond.


They say when you see a beautiful rose, you should leave it be. To love it is to let it live. But Pan is so tempted to pick this rose, gripped by the desire to possess. He chases after the nymph.


The nymph flees, and, not wanting to be found, asks to be transformed into a reed.


This is the story of Pan’s pursuit of the ephemeral nymph, Syrinx.


[Debussy: Syrinx]


Desperate to be close to Syrinx, Pan takes her reed and creates a flute. He meditates, looking to Ardalus, the inventor of the flute, for guidance as he crafts her into the most perfect instrument. 


[Hovhanness: Meditation on Ardalus]


When the flute is ready, Pan looks at the subject of his admiration. He plays his first song — pouring all of his love and pain into the instrument.


[Clarke: Beverley]


The beautiful sound of the flute makes him feel closer to Syrinx! High on the excitement, he sets off on a journey in search of beauty. Maybe one day, he will find something as beautiful as her.


[Beeftink: Wings]


After an eternity of searching, Pan stumbles across a breathtaking scene. A clear day in the meadow, wildflowers growing endlessly. The sunlight cast a golden glow on it all. It was almost as beautiful as his memory of Syrinx. Almost.


Maybe, he thought, I can add some things to this scene to make it a tiny bit more beautiful. There is so much potential. Soon, his mind was clouded with ideas – a little cottage, no - a castle, no skyscrapers!

As his daydream of creation consumes him, Pan loses sight of the beauty in front of him.

 

[Crawford: Peeck at the Kil]


We humans like to create things, to control them, to possess them. But in order to create and control and possess, we must destroy. To have our trains and our planes and our palaces and our skyscrapers, we have to give up what was there before.


So Pan, having succumbed to his desire to possess, is now living in a world with trains and planes and palaces and skyscrapers – a world with more noise than harmony.


[Clarke: The Great Train Race]


Amidst the noise, Pan plays his flute, trying one last time to get in touch with the side of himself that was so compelled by Syrinx. He breaks through the noise to play one last little tune, but the noise consumes him. He loses his goat legs and becomes fully human.


[Huang: Stand clear of the closing doors please]



Credits


Performed by Serena Huang

Fashion Design by Rodrigo Barros

French translation by John Minh

  • Writer: Serena Huang
    Serena Huang
  • Jan 11

About the Program


As an American who moved to Paris to learn more about its rich musical traditions, I'm proud to present a solo flute program of works by French and American composers - many of whom have hybrid backgrounds like me.


Throughout the pieces, you'll also notice a theme of mythology, history, and nature. Thank you for joining me on this introspective musical journey.


(Photo by John Minh)






The Program


Debussy: Syrinx


Claude Debussy was one of the most influential French composers of the 19th and early 20th centuries. People often refer to him as the first Impressionist composer, but he rejected this label.


This piece is a classic in the solo flute repertoire, and it is based on a Greek mythological story. Syrinx was a beautiful wood nymph, who was pursued by the god Pan. Desperate to get away, she asked for help from the river nymphs, who turned her into reeds. Pan turns the reeds into the first ever panpipes, which are now known as syrinx.


Ferroud: "Bergère Captive" & "Jade" from 3 Pieces for Solo Flute


Pierre-Octave Ferroud was a 20th century French composer. In these two brief works, listen for the classic French sound, and then some strong Chinese influences.


Beeftink: "Wings" from Iroquois Suite


Herman Beeftink is a Dutch-born composer currently residing in the United States. He is a flutist himself, and has composed for a variety of Hollywood films and TV shows.


Beeftink's "Iroquois Suite" was inspired by the music of the Iroquois Native American tribe, and I've chosen to share 2 movements from the piece that I find particularly compelling.


Hovhanness: Meditation on Ardalus


Alan Hovhanness was an American composer of Armenian descent. While he one of the most prolific 20th century composers, this particular piece remains unpublished. I was able to find the sheet music by contacting the creator of the sole recording of this piece.


In Greek mythology, Ardalus was the inventor of the flute.



Honegger: Danse de la Chevre


Honnegger was a Swiss-born composer and member of "Les Six," a collective of 20th century French composers who led a counter-movement to the trending compositional styles of the time, including that of Claude Debussy.


In this piece, I invite you to picture a scene of goats on a mountain and to listen for the less traditionally beautiful harmonies Honegger uses.



Uebayashi: Le Vent à Travers Les Ruines


Yuko Uebayashi is a Japanese-born composer who has lived in France since 1998.


For me, this piece embodies feeling I get when I look at ruins from a past civilization and realize that the world is so big and I am so small. So much time has elapsed, and I've only witnessed the tiniest fraction of it. The vastness of it all makes me feel at peace.



Crawford: Peeck at the Kil


Michael Shingo Crawford is a Japanese-American composer, and a good friend of mine. He composed this piece in 2020, and I've had the privilege of recording and premiering it in both the US and France. Here are Michael's program notes for the piece:


Jan Peeck was a Dutch trader who was the first European to make contact with Native Americans in the New Amsterdam region that would later become the state of New York. The modern city of Peekskill takes its name from Peeck, combined with “kil,” the Dutch word for stream. Peeck at the Kil takes a snapshot from this 17th century history and imagines Jan Peeck gazing over the Hudson River, envisioning the possibilities of this unknown land. The choice of subject is a result of my recent trip to Peekskill, a place where I spent much of my childhood. The more playful and jocose moments in the music refer to these early memories and acknowledge the titular pun.






About Serena


Serena Huang is a graduate of the Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division as a student of Bart Feller, Temple University’s Boyer College of Music & Dance as a student of Mimi Stillman, and l'École Normale de Musique de Paris as a student of Mihi Kim. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kimmel Center, and other popular venues as both a soloist and an ensemble musician. Serena has been the recipient of various awards including those of the New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra (NJIO) Concerto Competition, the Boyer College Alumni Award, and the Young Opus International Music Competition. She is currently based in Paris, where she teaches and performs.




Bookings





  • Writer: Serena Huang
    Serena Huang
  • Nov 16, 2024

We are an international duo of flutists: Serena (American) & Hugo (French) who came together during our studies at l'école normale de musique de Paris (Alfred Cortot).


We've curated our favorite classical and contemporary pieces for 2 flutes!



The Program


Nino ROTA: 3 Duets

I. Vecchia Romanza

II. Il Mulino

III. Vecchio Carillon


Felix MENDELSSOHN: "Scherzo" from A Midsummer Night's Dream

(arr. Joseph-Henri Altès)


Charle KOECHLIN: Sonata for 2 Flutes

I. Assez lent

II. Allegretto scherzando

III. Final (Allegro)


Samuel Zyman: "Intuition" for 2 Flutes


Luiz Castelōes: "2 Historinhas" for 2 Flutes

*World Premiere


Aphex Twin: "Avril 14th"

(arr. Serena Huang)



The Artists


Serena Huang


Hugo Mikaelian



Bookings





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