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The flute has always been the flagship instrument of the Haute école de musique de Genève (HEM). Educators such as André Pépin and Maxence Larrieu have contributed to the class’s renown at European level. Today, the flute class at the HEM benefits from the kind teaching of its two professors, Michel Bellavance and Jacques Zoon.
Very active on the international scene, they are not only renowned solo artists and chamber musicians, but also committed teachers. On top of their teaching, they regularly invite influential flautists to the university to give Masterclasses.
The students taking the HEM’s flute classes benefit from a particularly stimulating learning environment, which emphasizes their cultural diversity. The atmosphere is one that favours human contact and new friendships. Besides the individual classes, there is a large number and variety of opportunities to play in a group: orchestra sessions, chamber music, multi-disciplinary projects. Once a month, the class organises recitals with accompaniment on the piano or harpsichord. Simulations of orchestra contests are also regularly held.
Our students are encouraged to broaden their horizons by taking classes in a second instrument, such as the traverso or the piccolo. The school makes a high-quality set of instruments available to them, ranging from the piccolo to the bass flute. Thanks to the resources at our ‘Centre de musique électroacoustique’ (Centre for electro-acoustic music, CME), they can also experiment with avant-garde styles of music through amplification, the use of effect pedals, etc.
The close ties that the HEM maintains with the region’s professional ensembles offer our students numerous opportunities to play in renowned ensembles such as the Orchestre de la Suisse romande (OSR), the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève (OCG) or the Ensemble de musique contemporaine Contrechamps. The richness of the music scene in French-speaking Switzerland, the music-loving public and the numerous patrons mean that there are ample opportunities for engagement, to enrich their practice and develop their network of contacts.