Robert David Billington, solo flutist

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"The highest ideal in making music is to determine the affect which the music itself achieves and then to project that affect to the listener." RDB

Four selections for solo flute by British composer David W. Solomons.

Dr. Billington premiered these compositions either at the Hibel Promenade Concert Series in Jupiter, FL,

or for Musical Shabbat services at Temple Sinai in Delray Beach, FL.

"Also on last night's program was Shun-san for solo flute, by Kazuo Fukushima, a Japanese composer. Robert Billington played the short work,which combines an Oriental style and sound in a Western structural framework. The sometimes breathy, sometimes steely tones, the microtones, simultaneously sounded tones and a host of other effects were all well-played by Billington." Owen Hardy, The Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY

". . . I was quite impressed with the flutist, Robert Billington." John Schuster-Craig, The Louisville Times, Louisville, KY

". . . Hurry, Ye Happy Shepherds, beautifully sung, and excellently accompanied by solo flute, played by Robert Billington." Raymond Barr, Coral Gables Gazette, Coral Gables, FL

Canadian-born flutist Dr. Robert David Billington earned his BA degree from Northern Michigan University, his MM degree majoring in flute performance from Western Michigan University, and his DMA degree in flute performance from the University of Miami. He has done post-graduate work at Ball State University and at the University of Illinois.

Currently, Dr. Billington is a free-lance flutist in the South Florida area. He has taught at the University of Miami, Boise State University, the University of Illinois, the University of Louisville, the Louisville Academy of Music, and Ball State University. His collegiate flute teachers have included Dr. Elda Tate (Northern Michigan University), Dr. Charles Osborne (Western Michigan University), and Eugene Johnson (University of Miami).

Dr. Billington has also studied privately with Bernard Goldberg, Donald Peck, Robert Aitken, James Pellerite, and Francis Fuge. In addition to having performed with numerous orchestras in the United States and at festivals in Europe, Mr. Billington has presented master classes in Trinidad, and has appeared as a soloist on Trinidad and Tobago Television.

Dr. Billington has performed recitals and concerts of classical flute alone music and has also performed as a classical solo flutist for art festivals. His repertoire consists of traditional early works such as the J. S. Bach Partita in a minor and the Telemann Fantasias and ranges to the standard repertoire pieces of the 20th century such as the Debussy Syrinx and the Hindemith Acht Stucke. Dr. Billington also enjoys playing avant-garde works such as the Berio Sequenza and the Fukushima Shun-San.

Dr. Billington has performed solo flute music for weddings at various South Florida beaches and parks, at the Japanese Garden on Watson Island, at the Spanish Monastery, and at Vizcaya. Among the other events that he has performed for as a flute soloist have included art exhibit openings, a corporate function at Casa Casuarina in Miami Beach, the dedication of the huge Botero sculture in Coral Gables, a Christening at the Church of the Little Flower, and as a featured musician for the Beaux Arts Festival. For several years Dr. Billington performed solo flute music for moonlight strolls at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden.

Robert David Billington Sample Solo Flute Repertoire

Aitken Plainsong C. P. E. Bach Sonata in a minor J. S. Bach Partita in a minor Berio Sequenza Boismortier Sechs Suiten Bozza Image Chuah Kiyotaki-Gawa Cutrera Homeostasis Czaplowski The Blackbird's Song of Peace Dahl Variations on a Swedish Folktune De La Torre Impromptu for Flute Debussy Syrinx Ferroud Trois Pieces Flothuis Aubade Fukushima Shun-san Hess Four Lyric Pieces Hindemith Acht Stucke Honegger Danse de la Chevre Hoover Kokopelli Hovhaness Sonata, op. 118 Ibert Piece Jolivet Cinq Incantations Koechlin Les Chants de Nectaire, Trois Sonatines Kuhlau Three Fantasias, Op. 38 Marais Les Folies d'Espagne Louis Moyse Hommage a Krishna, Pastorale Piazzolla Tango-Etudes Reynolds Ambages Saunders Eight Traditional Japanese Pieces Scott The Ecstatic Shepherd Solomons Klezomaticus, Nokh Amol mit Neshome, Pensieri su Klizemer, Sweet K-K-K-Kate Sommerfeldt Spring Tunes, Op. 44 Stamitz 8 Capricen Tomasi Les Cyclades, Sonatine Telemann 12 Fantasies Tromlitz Sechs Partiten Varese Density 21.5 Wigglesworth Lake Music

Koechlin "Cortege de jeune filles" from Les Chant de Nectaire (with ambient sound)