UNO Professor of Flute, Dr. Christine Beard and Artist-Faculty of Piano, Stacie Haneline traveled to Grado, Italy from July 3-6, 2018 to perform and teach at the V International Piccolo Festival hosted by Nicola Mazzanti (solo piccolo of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra). Beard served as a guest artist alongside internationally acclaimed piccolo specialists Jennifer Gunn (Chicago Symphony); Pamela Stahel (Zurich Opera Orchestra); and Matjaz Debeljak (Slovenian National Theater and Opera Orchestra). In addition to teaching piccolo lessons to students from across Europe, China, the USA and Australia, Beard and Haneline performed the festival’s only solo recital, for which the duo showcased music for piccolo by living composers in an effort to educate the festival participants about the growing repertoire for the instrument. The pinnacle event of festival was held at the Basilica di Santa Eufemia where the artist-teachers all performed concerti on piccolo, backed by the orchestra Harmonia Mundi under the direction of Maestro Dino Doni, for which Beard performed the Concerto in G Major by Giovanni Pergolesi.

Following the festival in Italy, Beard and Haneline traveled to the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of France from July 8-10 where the duo served as guest artists for the Zodiac Festival, an international chamber music event founded by the Zodiac Trio which draws students from around the world to study and perform chamber music with internationally renowned artist-faculty. During their residency, Beard/Haneline performed a recital of music for flute, piccolo and piano at the Église Saint Jacques le Majeur in La Bolline, Valdebore which included works by Keith Gates, Matt Smith, and a performance of Beard’s own arrangement of “Oblivion” for two flutes and piano by Astor Piazzolla, for which the festival’s flute teacher, Italian flutist Sergio Pallottelli joined them. Beard also taught a flute masterclass for the flute students attending the festival.

IPF – Pergolesi: Concerto in G Major (1st movement)