Nicola Mazzanti

Former Solo Piccolo | Maggio Musical Fiorentino Orchestra | Artistic Director of the International Piccolo Festival

Nicola Mazzanti served as Solo Piccolo of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra, a position he has held from 1988 until 2020. Many composers have written pieces for him, for piccolo and piano or orchestral concerts. His name is associated with many premières. 

Mr. Mazzanti performs frequently as both a flute and piccolo soloist and in chamber ensembles in Italy and abroad. In his role of advocate for the piccolo as a solo voice, he has performed in many flutes events and conventions all over the world. Sir James Galway invited him to perform at his masterclass in Weggis (Switzerland) every year since 2008. 

Since 2001, he has held annual piccolo courses at the “MusicArea” association in Florence and at the Italian Flute Academy in Rome. Since 2009 he teach piccolo at the Hochshule in Luzern, since 2011 at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano (Switzerland) and 2013 at the Conservatorio “Verdi” in Milano and since 2020 at the Conservatorio “Torrefranca” in Vibo Valetia (Italy).  He is frequently invited to give masterclassses for flute associations and music schools in Italy and abroad. He has released several solo CD’s. His web site is a regular destination for dedicated piccolo players. His book “The Mazzanti Method” for piccolo, published in 2014 by Theodore Presser, has been welcomed as a milestone in the teaching of this instrument.

Trond Magne Brekka

Solo piccolo | Oslo Philharmonic

Trond Magne Brekka has been solo piccolo flutist in the Oslo Philharmonic since 2014. Prior to this he has the same position in the Norwegian Radio Orchestra (2008-2014) and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (2001-2008). He is associate professor of flute and piccolo at the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Barratt Due Music Institute in Oslo, and has also taught flute and piccolo the Grieg Academy of Music in Bergen and in international masterclasses.

He studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and Royal College of Music in London. He has also studied shakuhachi in Japan through the Tokyo Academy of Instrumental Heritage Music sponsored by Toshiba.

As soloist and chamber musician he has premiered several concertos and chamber music pieces for flute and piccolo. He has performed for radio and TV and at international festivals.

Tina Ljunkvist

Solo piccolo | Gothenborg Symphony Orchestra

Tina Ljungkvist was brought up in Linköping where she started her flute education for the dedicated teacher Gunnar Kinberg and at the age of 19 she continued her studies at The Royal College of Music in Stockholm. During the Stockholm years she became more and more fascinated about the piccolo and especially the piccolo role in the symphony orchestra.

She currently holds the position as solo piccolo in Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra where she has been a member since 2010. Before that she held the position as solo piccolo in the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm. 

Beside Tina’s current position she has freelanced with many Swedish orchestras and participated in numerous chamber constellations. As soloist Tina has performed the Vivaldi piccolo concerto both on tour with colleagues from the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and with Linköpings Symphony Orchestra. 

Tina is currently teaching piccolo at the Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg.

Ida Marie Sørmo

Solo piccolo | Aalborg Symphony Orchestra

Ida Marie Sørmo is a Norwegian flutist. She has held the position of Solo Piccolo in Aalborg Symphony Orchestra since 2014.

Ida Marie has played with orchestras such as Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, Kristiansund Opera (2012/ 2013), Trondheim Sinfonietta, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Odense Symphony Orchestra and more.

In 2009 she received her Master’s degree in Performing Music at NTNU, Trondheim, after finishing her bachelor’s degree at University of Agder in Norway.

She has also completed a Bachelor’s degree in Developing Studies and Economics.

In 2016, Ida Marie took a study leave for 5 weeks in Paris, studying piccolo with Pierre Dumail.

Natalie Schwaabe

Solo piccolo | Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

The Tokyo-born piccolo and flute player Natalie Schwaabe grew up in Hong Kong. She started her musical training there and was a member of the Hong Kong Junior Academy of Performing Arts. 

After completing her secondary education at the Purcell School in London, she obtained her artistic diploma with honors and a master degree whilst studying with Professor Paul Meisen at the „Hochschule für Musik und Theater“ in Munich. 

At the age of 21 she became principal flute of the Munich Symphony Orchestra and two years later joined the Munich Radio Orchestra. In 1996 she fulfilled a dream in becoming a member of the prestigious Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio, giving her the opportunity to work with great musicians such as Sir Simon Rattle, Mariss Jansons, Carlos Kleiber and Ricardo Muti.

In 1996 she received the special prize of the jury at the Prague Spring International Music Competition and was a prizewinner at the 1st International Carl Nielsen Flute Competition two years later in Odense, Denmark. 

In addition to orchestral playing Natalie Schwaabe performs as a soloist, having been accompanied by the Nürnberger Symphoniker and the Stuttgarter Chamber Orchestra. A great passion of hers is to play chamber music. In 2017 she released her first solo CD Piccoloworks together with the pianist Jan Philip Schulze. 

Teaching is a vital part of her musical life. She is a member of the International Piccolo Flute Academy, gives many piccolo masterclasses worldwide and holds the piccolo teaching position at the „Hochschule für Musik und Theater“ in Munich. 

Photo: © Thomas Schloemann.

Ulrich Ghisler

Doctor, MD | Hellerup Sundhedscenter Lægeklinik