“As a teenager … in Dayton, Ohio, Brandon Patrick George kept two newspaper clippings pinned to his bedroom wall,” writes Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim in last Tuesday’s (10/13) New York Times. “The first was a profile of the flutist Demarre McGill, who had performed a concerto with the local symphony orchestra. Mr. George’s grandmother had saved the article for him, with its accompanying photograph of a classical musician who was Black—just like him. The other was an obituary for Jean-Pierre Rampal.… To Mr. George, now 34, the two clippings were like flares, lighting the way to his goal of becoming a flutist. Since then, he has toured some of the world’s most important concert halls as a member of Imani Winds, an ensemble dedicated to championing a new and diverse repertory for wind quintet. But now he is stepping into the spotlight as a soloist with a debut recording [that] includes pieces by Bach, Boulez, Prokofiev and the Finnish composer Kalevi Aho.” In an interview, George speaks about topics including performing music by living composers; Baroque flute vs. modern flute; and studying at the Paris Conservatory.
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