Emmanuel Pahud
flute
Emmanuel Pahud is one of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s “own world-class orchestral wind players” ([Salzburger Nachrichten]). At only 22, he became the orchestra’s principal flute during the Abbado era – a position he has held, with brief interruptions, to this day. In addition, Pahud has had a world-renowned career as a soloist and chamber musician.
Pahud received his first flute lessons at the age of six and studied at the Académie d’Uccle in Brussels and under Peter-Lukas Graf in Basel. In 1990, at the age of 20, he graduated with the Premier Prix of the Conservatoire de Paris; he perfected his skills under Aurèle Nicolet. Pahud won 1st prize at each of the Duino, Kobe and Geneva competitions before becoming a member of the Berliner Philharmoniker in 1993. As a soloist, Pahud performs worldwide with the leading symphony orchestras – with the Berliner Philharmoniker he has performed flute concertos by Carl Nielsen, Marc-André Dalbavie, Elliott Carter and Jörg Widmann, among others – and as a chamber musician in various duo and larger ensemble settings. He regularly performs with Les Vents Français, whose line-up reads like a “who’s who” of the international wind scene: François Leleux, Paul Meyer, Gilbert Audin, Radovan Vlatković. Pahud also regularly gives recitals with Eric Le Sage, Alessio Bax, Yefim Bronfman, Hélène Grimaud and Stephen Kovacevich, as well as with jazz pianist Jacky Terrasson. The musician is a Unicef ambassador, and was appointed Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres as well as an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music.
