Sharon Bezaly, the flutist on this album, was described by The Times (UK) as "God's gift to the flute" and was named "Instrumentalist of the Year" by Klassik Echo in Germany in 2002.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Leonard Bernstein described "Halil" as a struggle between tonal and non-tonal forces, reflecting wars, the desire to live, and the consolation of art, love, and hope for peace.
Performer Biography
Sharon Bezaly plays on a 24-carat gold flute, specially built for her by the Muramatsu team in Japan.
Composition History
Christopher Rouse's Flute Concerto was composed in 1993 as an emotional reaction to the brutal murder of two-year-old James Bulger by two ten-year-old boys.
Composition History
Leonard Bernstein's "Halil" is dedicated "To the Spirit of Yadin and to His Fallen Brothers," honoring Yadin Tannenbaum, a 19-year-old Israeli flautist killed in 1973.
Performer Biography
Sharon Bezaly's mastery of circular breathing, taught by Aurèle Nicolet, allows her to overcome the limitations of the flute as a wind instrument.
Composer Biography
Brett Dean, the composer of "The Siduri Dances," was a permanent member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for fourteen years before returning to Australia to focus on composition.
