*To access all available languages from a Mobile phone switch to a desktop version in the browser settings, choose a desired language and switch back to a Mobile version. You only need to do it once.

Thank you for these three years!

Dear Contributors, Loyal Readers and Supporters, With heavy hearts, we have come to the end of our beloved magazine. After 3 years of intense hard work and tremendous growth of the project, The Babel Flute founders have decided to part ways, leading to the difficult decision to end the project. We want to express our deepest gratitude to each…

Read More

Edition XI

Dear flutists and flute enthusiasts, We’re celebrating the 3rd year anniversary of the most unique and innovative project in the flute world with the release of the 11th edition of The Babel Flute! Explore 21 new articles covering a wide variety of topics. This edition features 5 new authors, bringing the total number of contributors to 94 from 30…

Read More

Τhe medieval transverse flute between Western Europe and Byzantium

Dimitris Kountouras, Dr, M.Music Very few things are known to us about the transverse flute in Europe during the Middle Ages. No instruments survive and no specific mention in the repertoire indicates the flute. Our only sources are iconography and literature. According to scholars, the flute came to the West from Byzantium. We have written references already in 7th…

Read More

Flöten Eindrücken in Usbekistan

Lelya Bayramoğulları Die an der Seidenstraße gelegene Hauptstadt Usbekistans Taschkent ist eine alte historische Stadt mit einer Bevölkerung von ca. 3 Millionen, eine der größten und mystischsten Städte Zentralasiens. Sowohl die Stadt, als auch das Staatliche Konservatorium leisten wichtige Beiträge zum Musikleben dieser Stadt und sie machte in der ehemaligen Sowjet Union als viertgrößte Hauptstadt der Sowjetunion auf sich…

Read More

When It Hurts to Play Flute

Ergonomic Aids That Can Help the Pain By Erik Nugent Everyone’s hands are different. We all have different length fingers, thumbs, span of the reach from thumb to pinky, width of fingers and palms, and thickness of wrists. Flute makers have a hard enough time trying to design a flute that is ergonomically comfortable for most players with normal…

Read More

Sound, Movement and Expression in Music

by Tim Lane When a musician asks for help in developing their musicianship, they are most often directed to listen to renowned performers and performances. I remember hearing an interview with William Bennett who commented that (I paraphrase), “Our listening abilities determine the boundaries of our musical skills”. There is no doubt that one’s musical abilities can be improved by…

Read More

Communicate with confidence

by Rik Noyce, D.M.A. As a University professor and life coach, I often find both students and clients searching for the seemingly illusive state of confidence – wanting to know how to summon it, maximize it, and maintain it.  But, what is confidence? Why do so many budding performers feel its absence? What are we actually seeking when we look for…

Read More

Voices of the Masters: Bridging Baroque and Modern Flute Practice

by Francesco Belfiore BACKGROUND  In the vibrant world of flute playing, the daily practice routines of musicians are as varied as the instruments they play. From the intricate Boehm system of the modern flute to the simpler yet equally demanding baroque traverso, each instrument offers its own set of challenges and rewards.  In this article, we embark on a…

Read More

Principessa Anna Amalia di Prussia (1723-1787): Compositrice e Mecenate 

di Vilma Campitelli Abstract Principessa, compositrice e badessa. Sorella minore del Re Federico II di Prussia, fin da piccola amava la musica ma la sua istruzione fu possibile solo dopo la morte del padre. In età matura inizia lo studio della composizione con J. Ph. Kirnberger, allievo di Bach e compone sonate, corali, brani cameristici, marce che purtroppo, in…

Read More

Theobald Böhm as a Flute Maker

by Ludwig Böhm, great-great-grandson ***We continue the publication of a series of articles by Ludwig Böhm from“Commemorative Writing on the occasion of Theobald Böhm’s 200th Birthday, Munich 1994”, gradually approaching the celebration of Theobald Böhm’s 230th birthday on April 9, 2024. 1) Professional career as a flute maker After some time of playing, Theobald Böhm became dissatisfied with his flageolet…

Read More