The first time that Iva Ugrcic heard the flute, her world changed. Growing up in war-torn Serbia, she says the airy, delicate sounds of the instrument “transported her to another universe.” Now, Ugrcic is using her passion for music and her experiences in the field to be an advocate for other female musicians and creatives.
Amy Beach (1867-1944): Theme and Variations for flute and string quartet, Op. 80 (1916)
Amy Beach was a groundbreaker who challenged expectations for women. In her day and beyond, the odds were stacked heavily against women composers. As Antonin Dvořák opined to a Boston reporter in 1892, “The ladies… have not the creative power.”
This beautiful piece, inspired by certain Indian Lullaby, has been on my bucket list for a long time and I finally performed it during the LunART Festival 2022 season!
NEW YOUTUBE INITIATIVE
New Etudes Every Week!
This initiative started as my way of coping with, and in response to COVID-19. It commenced with sharing simple and beautiful romantic solo flute etudes with friends and family around the world. My hope is to bring a little light to their everyday lives knowing that so many art events and concerts have been cancelled or postponed.
This initial idea quickly developed into the #covidchallenge, an effort of keeping my playing in shape while going back to basics and enjoying this new, slow-pace environment.
So far, I have been working on the following 4 books:
Do you have questions or any suggestions on the next book etude? Feel free to contact me. Let's get a little bit better every day!
Check out the most recent etude:
Here is a super fun project I've been working on with my hubby in quarantine :) I think Lou Harrison would be okay with the found instrument substitutions we discovered in our apartment and minor changes in a solo part. Hope you enjoy it!