First Prize winner for flute and First Prize winner for chamber music at the Paris Conservatoire, PIERRE-YVES ARTAUD has played all over the world as a soloist and with ensembles such as the Trio à Cordes de Paris and Arditti Quartet. He has also performed with many world-renowned orchestras under the direction of P. Boulez, P. Eotvos, J.C. Casadesus, A. Tamayo, A. Louvier and L. Foster. He has also been part of the Ensemble 2e2m for many years both as a soloist and as Associate Artistic Director.
Professor of flute at the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique, he is the director of several collections and has compiled several teaching methods and treatises. He has organized numerous masterclasses: Taiwan, Japan (Èlisabeth University of Music in Hiroshima, Akiyoshidai festival), Korea, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Germany, and has worked on important research, notably at the Ircam in Paris where he was put in charge of the Instrumental Research Workshop un P. Boulez from 1981-1985.
As a performer, teacher and in the field of research, Pierre-Yves has played an important role in the development of the art of the flute, both in the interpretation of classical music as well as the creation of modern music with many composers writing specifically for him.
Professor Artaud was awarded the Grand Prix for interpretation of French contemporary music by the Sacem (1982), the Prix Charles Cros for the Artaud/Ferneyhough record (1983), the Grand Prix de l'Académie du Disque franç (1984), the Prix Charles Crox (1985) for the Artaud/Taïra record and the Japanese Grand Prix for the Hosokawa record. He and Takemitsu share the chairmanship of the Tokyo Franco-Japanese Festival of Contemporary Music.
Prochains Rendez-vous Orchestre de Flûtes Français
Interview:
We had the opportunity to ask Pierre-Yves a few questions. Take a look at his thoughts on preparing for orchestral auditions, regular practice routines, as well as advice for upcoming flutists.
1. Orchestral positions are presently very competitive. How do you suggest preparing for a future orchestral audition both mentally and physically?
Having control mentally and physically are problems that we face daily as musicians. As musicians we are constantly working on this our entire career! The thing to be most sensitive or aware of is to understand what the orchestras are really looking for. We must know a few things: Do we compete for principal or second? What is the style of the orchestra and the musical taste of the main conductor? What are the indispensable qualities a flutist must possess in an orchestra? I would say there are three main qualities:
1. Perfect rhythm & tempos 2. Perfect Intonation 3. The capacity to change every parameter of your playing in order to appease the demands of different conductors.
In an audition, one must prove they know how to play the orchestral excerpts. However, this constitutes a big problem as the auditions are often done without an orchestra (which is paradoxal) and because we really don’t know how we should be playing them because it is always decided by the conductors! A good way to avoid this is to listen to a CD, if it exists, in the discography of the main conductor of the orchestra that is holding the audition. You can get a lot of great information on the style of the conductor this way!
2. What is your regular practice routine like?
I actually don’t have a routine! (Any more, that is.) I work on what I have to prepare at that time. The technical work that is needed after 50 years of flute playing is completely different than it is for beginners. Tone, fingerings, articulations, etc. must of course be systematically studied when we are pupils. But soon we understand that it’s impossible to separate technic and music. Technic has to be worked on with everything we play. Music that lacks technic does not exist. When a student tells me that he works on tone for 2 hours a day, I tell him - Only? Tone must be worked on with everything we play! If we play for 5 hours, we are also practicing our tone for 5 hours. How can you separate sound and music? It’s impossible!
3. What music are you currently listening to that has caught your attention?
I always prefer to be listening to something new. In our lifetime, we read the best books about 3 times, see the best movies about 3-4 times, but we listen to the same symphonies at least 100 times! Especially if the music is constantly being performed by different musicians, it is interesting to hear different interpretations. I like to discover new composers or even a new piece by a known composer. Art is discovering and should be the opposite of routine! It’s also why my main activity involves new music (even if I regularly play the main repertoire: I LOVE Mozart and the other greats, don’t worry!) New music, however, gives a lot of inspiration for the interpretation of other repertoire. More and more these days I don’t even differentiate between Mozart and Stockhausen! Stravinsky wrote that it is impossible to understand the music of the past if we don’t have the unique experience of creating new music and working with the living composers! So simple and so true!
4. How did you come to choose Miyazawa as your flute of choice?
I need a dependable flute that can also play in tune. I’ve had my Miyazawa flute for 5 years now and have never had even the slightest problem with this fantastic instrument! This is so important, especially when traveling. I am so relaxed knowing that my flute can withhold the amount of traveling I do. Also the intonation is the best of any flute I have tried and it gives the flutist marvelous comfort when playing it. I can say that with this flute my biggest dream has actually come true: to be able to forget the act of playing the flute and be 100% concentrated on the music!
5. If you had one piece of advice to give an upcoming flutist, what would you tell them?
Wow! This is a difficult question... we might have the most beautiful job imaginable, but it is also the most demanding! Because of this, if you don’t have a passion for music, it is better to stop now! If we are passionate, however, we can bring so much happiness around us through our music that makes our efforts highly rewarding. Never loose patience and hope, the end result is so beautiful!
Upcoming Performances:
Orchestre de Flutes Francais April 15, 2010 8:30 PM Salle Alfred Cortot 78, rue Cardinet 75017 Paris Metro: Malesherbes
Pierre-Yves plays a Boston Classic RH-24k Gold Flute
Artists 
