2020-22

Duo Beija-Flor

Duo-Beija-Flor is touring in Prairie Debut's 2020-21 season

Duo Beija-Flor
FLUTE & GUITAR | FLUTE & GUITARE

With its unique brand of ethno-classical music, Duo Beija-Flor is a flute and guitar pairing presenting a varied repertoire of works inspired by traditional and folkloric music found around the world. Flutist Marie-Noëlle Choquette and guitarist Charles Hobson began performing together during their graduate studies at Concordia University in Montreal. In 2009, they officially formed the Duo Beija-Flor. Since then, they have performed concerts throughout Canada, United States and Argentina. To date, they have released three critically acclaimed albums: Costas (2018), Muzica (2013) and Envol (2011). With its intriguing combination balancing world and classical music, the duo has been invited to perform both on TV and radio (Radio-Canada, CIBL, Global TV, TVCK, Cogeco TV and CBC). In 2010, the duo was named laureates in the competition ‘Mon Accès à la Scène’ and in 2012, was recipient of the Fonds de promotion de la GMMQ grant from Québec’s chapter of the American Federation of Musicians.

Avec son style unique de musique ethno-classique, Duo Beija-Flor forme un tandem flûte et guitare présentant un répertoire varié d’oeuvres inspirées des musiques traditionnelles et folkloriques de par le monde. La flûtiste Marie-Noëlle Choquette et le guitariste Charles Hobson ont commencé à se produire ensemble pendant leurs études supérieures à l’Université Concordia de Montréal. En 2009, ils ont formé officiellement le Duo Beija-Flor. Depuis, ils se sont produits en concert à travers le Canada, les Etats-Unis et l’Argentine. A ce jour, ils ont sorti trois albums acclamés par la critique: Costas (2018), Muzica (2013) et Envol (2011). Avec sa combinaison intrigante entre musique du monde et musique classique, le duo a été invité à se produire tant à la télévision qu’à la radio (CBC/Radio-Canada, CIBL, Global TV, TVCK et Cogeco TV). En 2010, le duo a été lauréat du concours Mon accès à la scène et en 2012, il a été récipiendaire du Fonds de promotion de la musique GMMQ pour la section québécoise de la Fédération américaine des musiciens des Etats-Unis et du Canada.

EVENTS

2022

Concert | 7:30 pm | Thursday March 17, 2022
Canmore, AB | artsPlace

Concert | 7:30 pm | Saturday March 19, 2022
Calgary AB | Eckhart-Gramatté Hall • Rosza Centre

Concert | 3:00 pm | Sunday March 20 2022
Camrose, AB | Bailey Theatre Society

Concert | 7:30 pm | Monday March 21 2022
Estevan, SK | Estevan Arts Council

Concert | 7:30 pm | Thursday March 24 2022
Rosthern, SK | Station Arts Centre

2020

Return to Summer | October 14 & 18, 2020
Classic 107 & the Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg
Ashlee Rees of Classic 107 hosted a live on-air interview  and simultaneous online broadcast featuring the gorgeous music and video performance of Duo Beija-Flor.

World Premiere of Carmen Braden’s “Culture of Isolation”
Virtual Concert | Thursday, November 26, 2020
CJSW radio and online event | A Prairie Debut commission
Marie-Noelle and Charles rehearsed in isolation and recorded their parts separately. Neither had ever heard the other part. Along with the rest of us, the two heard the entire work for the first time at the concert premiere.
You can catch the concert on You-Tube or listen to the interview hosted by Paula Fayerman on CJSW.com. 

“…a sweet treat for listeners who like their music hot!”

Holly HarrisThe Winnipeg Free Press

The Duo Beija-Flor is an incredibly dynamic and creative team. The flutist (Marie-Noëlle Choquette) has a beautifully warm sound which is dynamic and supremely expressive. The guitarist (Charles Hobson) is absolutely fantastic and provides a perfect bed for the flutist to soar on” -Viviana Guzman, The Flute View Magazine, San Francisco.

Viviana Guzman | The Flute View Magazine, San Francisco

BIOGRAPHY \ BIOGRAPHIE

Hailed by San Francisco’s Flute Talk magazine, Duo Beija-Flor is known for its “incredibly dynamic and creative team.” The duo has arranged works to create their personal style. Reflecting their ethno-specializing, they furthered their studies, travelling to Buenos Aires in 2015 where they worked with renowned Argentinian guitarist Victor Villadangos and tango-flutist Paulina Fain in order to perfect their interpretations and performances of South American music, such as Piazzolla’s Oblivion and Escualo. To add to the uniqueness of their programs, they commissioned Canadian composer Roddy Ellias to create a new work based on Cuban jazz. The piece, Havana Street Parade, was premiered in 2013 and is now a mainstay of their repertoire. All of this, coupled with their tireless research to find works from lesser known composers that follow the duo’s style, makes Duo Beija-Flor a classical flute and guitar duo that breaks the mold.

In September 2018, Duo Beija-Flor released their third and latest album, Costas on the American label Big Round Records/NAXOS of America. This album, based upon their Latin program of the same name, is comprised of music from the Atlantic coasts of the Latin world. The album includes works by Manuel De Falla, Astor Piazzolla, Sergio Assad, Celso Machado, and Canadian composers Sid Robinovitch and Roddy Ellias. The album has garnered rave reviews from the USA, Canada and England including a 4.5/5 from the Winnipeg Free Press, 4/4 from the Cinemusical (USA), and was named Album of the Month by Manitoba’s Classic 107FM.

> duobeija-flor.com

Salué par le magazine Flute Talk de San Francisco, Duo Beija-Flor est connu pour son “équipe incroyablement dynamique et créative”. Le duo a arrangé des oeuvres pour créer un style plus personnel. Reflétant leur ethno-spécialisation, ils ont poursuivi leurs études en voyageant à Buenos Aires en 2015, où ils ont travaillé avec le célèbre guitariste argentin Victor Villadangos et avec la flûtiste de tango Paulina Fain afin de perfectionner leurs prestations et interprétations de la musique sud-américaine, telles Oblivion et Escualo de Piazzolla. Ajoutant une nouvelle touche unique à leurs programmes, ils ont commandé au compositeur canadien Roddy Ellias une nouvelle pièce inspirée du jazz cubain. La pièce, Havana Street Parade, créée en 2013 fait désormais partie des pièces maîtresses de leur répertoire. Tout cela, associé à leurs recherches inlassables pour dénicher des oeuvres de compositeurs moins connus dans l’esprit du duo, fait de Duo Beija-Flor un duo de flûte et guitare classique qui brise les codes. 

En septembre 2018, Duo Beija-Flor a sorti son troisième et dernier album, Costas, chez la maison de disque américaine Big Round Records/NAXOS of America. Cet album, basé sur leur programme latino du même nom, regroupe des musiques des côtes atlantiques du monde latin. Cet album comporte des oeuvres de Manuel De Falla, Astor Piazzolla, Sergio Assad, Celso Machado et des compositeurs canadiens Sid Robinovitch et Roddy Ellias. L’album a reçu des critiques élogieuses aux Etats-Unis, au Canada et en Angleterre, dont un 4.5/5 de la part du Winnipeg Free Press, 4/4 du Cinemusical (États-Unis) et il a été nommé Album du mois par la station manitobaine Classic107. 

PHOTO CREDITS: Geneviève Rivard | Marcel Laprise | Museo Fernandez Blanco

…The virtuoso mastery of the instruments locked together in an interminable dance of music, the notes of which seem to leap off the page and dally in the rarefied atmosphere of the listening room, or dance and gambol in a mad rush of excitement…

…The duo plays the music unwrapping each statuesque melody as if revealing some delightful mystery for the listener to grasp with their ears with great expectation…

Raul de GamaWorld Music Report, Ottawa

IN THEIR
OWN WORDS

 

Duo Beija-Flor's Marie-Noelle Choquette, with flute, and Charles Hobson, holding a guitar.

A conversation with Duo Beija-Flor

Read the full interview to learn more about Duo Beija-Flor, as Marie-Noëlle Choquette and Charles Hobson discuss taking risks, advice for young artists and what hummingbirds have in common with ethno-classical music.

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