Wooden Whispers: The Evolution of the Flute from the Renaissance to Modern Era"
Musicians：Aysha Wills
Following the flute's melody, we travel through centuries.
Listen to the warm, sweet timbre of wood—a voice from history and nature.
This lecture focuses on historical flutes, led by Canadian-Dutch flutist and historical flute specialist Aysha Wills, guiding the audience through the Renaissance, Baroque, and Romantic periods to witness the instrument's revolutionary evolution.
The lecture features live demonstrations of:
#Renaissance Flute
#BaroqueOne-Keyed Flute
#Romantic Period Flute
Accompanied by harpsichord/pianist Machiko Suto (collaborative artist for Debussy's works), the performances will take you on a melodic journey through the flute's lifetime.
Special guest Yi Xian-Liao, a contemporary flute specialist, will provide Chinese interpretation and professional commentary.
After the lecture, Aysha Wills and harpsichordist Machiko Suto will present:
"Rediscovering the Past—Historical Flute & Harpsichord Duet Concert"
Transporting the audience to 19th-century salon culture, showcasing the brilliance of early music.
※Lecture in English with simultaneous Chinese interpretation
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♫ Lecture Outline:
・Characteristics and historical evolution of Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic, and modern flutes
・Structural, technical, and expressive differences between historical and modern flutes
・Demonstrative performances highlighting each flute's unique qualities
・Duet performances with harpsichord, revealing the richness of early music
Program content subject to change by organizers
♫ Target Audience
・Early music enthusiasts
・Classical music lovers
・Music students and practitioners
♫ Event Details
✻ Lecture: "Voices of Wood – The Evolution of Flutes from Renaissance to Modern Era"
｜Date: June 14, 2025 (Saturday)
｜Time: 14:30–16:00
｜Venue: Debussy Music & Arts Center (1F, No. 16, Lane 23, Ruian Street, Da’an District, Taipei)
✻ Concert: "Echoes of the Past – Historical Flute & Harpsichord Duet"
｜Date: June 14, 2025 (Saturday)
｜Time: 19:00–20:30
｜Venue: Debussy Music & Arts Center (Same address as above)
✻ Ticket Prices
｜Lecture: $400 TWD (Early bird $340 TWD until May 22, 2025)
｜Concert: $700 TWD (Early bird $600 TWD until May 22, 2025)
｜Combo Ticket (Lecture + Concert): $1,000 TWD (Early bird $850 TWD until May 22, 2025)
｜Registration deadline: June 12, 2025 (23:59). Limited seats available.
▻ Booking Link: https://forms.gle/56dBqQtGbrg3JCi16
♫ Poster Design: Debussy Music & Arts Center Design Team – Yang Meng Jie
♫ Copywriting: Debussy Music & Arts Center Design Team – Cheng Meng Han
MUSICIAN
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Musicians： Aysha Wills
Aysha Wills (born 1994) is a Canadian flutist currently based in Amsterdam. She specializes in historical instrument performance, having studied modern flute with Kersten McCall and Harrie Starreveld, and historical flute with Marten Root. She is proficient in playing various types of flutes, ranging from Renaissance flutes to the modern Boehm flute.
She has collaborated with numerous orchestras across Europe, North America, and Asia, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, de Nederlandse Bachvereniging, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Concerto Köln, Kölner Akademie, Seoul Baroque Ensemble, Collegium Vocale Seoul, Luthers Bach Ensemble, Won’drous Machine, Das Neue Orchester, l’arte del mondo, and Nieuwe Philharmonie Utrecht.
She has performed at various music festivals, including the Oude Muziek Festival Utrecht (where she regularly coaches young ensembles), Oude Muziek Festival Brugge, Pianoforte Festival Zaandijk, and Bell’Arte Frankfurt RheinMain. In 2009, she won first prize at the Canadian Music Competition in Montreal. During the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 seasons, Aysha served as one of the two flute fellows in the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE).
Aysha is also a founding member of the early music group Postscript. Postscript is an award-winning ensemble whose debut album, Introdvctio, was released by the Dutch high-fidelity audio label TRPTK and received widespread acclaim from early music and audiophile enthusiasts worldwide. Their second album, featuring 18th-century Amsterdam music, was released in September 2023.