Emmanuel Pahud, Flute & Christian Rivet, Guitar

A star flautist only comes around once or twice in a generation—and it’s fair to say that this generation’s strongest candidate is Swiss-born Emmanuel Pahud. He sits principal flute in the Berlin Philharmonic and as a soloist has delved into every corner of the repertoire from the Renaissance to the present day. Prepare to discover a new side of the instrument, and trace Pahud’s dynamics as they range from warm, resonant lows to brilliant, bell-like highs. He joins guitarist Christian Rivet to bring us a program based on their new recording “Around the World,” which charts a worldwide musical course through the lens of folk-inspired composers Elliott Carter, Béla Bartók, and others. It’s a rich and varied collection of pieces, brought to life by an artist with “perhaps the most appealing sound since that of the young James Galway.” (The Washington Post)