Refining artistry: my evolution and experiences during the research process on the French flute school of the nineteenth century

Abstract

My doctoral work aims to improve our understanding of the French flute school of the nineteenth century and its influence on modern flute playing. The written part of the research is mainly based on practice-driven artistic components. This means that the principles and methodologies of artistic research have influenced and guided my work.

During my work, I focused on playing and analysing both French flute repertoire and historical recordings. Additionally, I have interviewed prominent flutists in Europe and the USA, such as Sir James Galway, Paula Robison, and Maxence Larrieu, and worked with exercise books written by French flutists. I approached and studied the flute exercises mostly by myself. Additionally, I have played and studied the exercises with the flute teachers I have met during my doctoral studies. I wanted to see how my perception and understanding of those exercises differed, depending on the situation. I recorded my own practice, analysed the exercises, and used the results in conference presentations. Those aspects of my research venture into the field of historically informed performance. To deepen my knowledge, I have been using references from books on the French flute school, French art, artistic research, multidisciplinary art, and embodied research.

My doctoral work led me to make bold moves and broaden my understanding of art as such. One of the creative high points of my research was the multidisciplinary project with the visual artist Aino Koski, which helped me have a better connection with my inner artist.