Eduardo Gaspar Polo Baader

Fluit

As a historically-informed flutist, one is required to have a variety of instruments, each of them appropriate to play the music of a certain time and place. Most of us use instruments that allow us to cover, more or less comfortably, a wide range of repertoire. However, there is sometimes a point when one just cannot play a certain repertoire with the instruments one has. They feel clumsy or just plainly wrong, and the attempt can be an extremely frustrating experience, so much so that one might even come to the point of deciding not to play a certain repertoire at all anymore.

I was about to reach such a point concerning the repertoire of the Classical era, which I not only love, but the playing of which is, more and more, becoming a requirement in the Early Music world. I had been trying copies of instruments of this time by many makers, and kept finding that these instruments did not suit me. When I tried one of the copies of a Tortochot flute by Boaz Berney, I instantly fell in love with this instrument, and felt that a long search had finally concluded.

I would have had great difficulty in acquiring this instrument, had it not been for the trust and generous help of the SEM. The work they do is of inestimable help to young musicians, and I will always be grateful for their support.