Episode 10: Flutist Karen Demsey

Music & Conversation: The Podcast of English Composer Andrew Downes

Paula Downes interviews Dr. Karen Demsey, Professor of Flute and Musicology and Coordinator of Woodwinds at William Paterson University of New Jersey in America. Karen Demsey performed Andrew Downes' Sonata for 8 Solo Flutes with the virtuoso ensemble, UpTown Flutes in New Jersey in 2006. By this time, the work had become a favourite of the ensemble, included on nearly every concert over a period of several years. It was abundantly clear to UpTown Flutes that the work must be included on their next album, so Karen contacted Andrew Downes to ask permission to record it. During this interview you will hear from Karen about the serendipitous sequence of events set in motion from that initial contact that led to her current research project. UpTown Flutes recorded the work for a CD entitled "Uptown Flutes: 21st Century Gems," released in 2009.