Emmanuel Pahud, “one of today’s most dazzling interpreters of the 20th-century flute repertoire” (BBC Music Magazine), and pianist Alessio Bax, one of “the most remarkable young pianists now before the public” (Gramophone), will launch WashU’s 2025 Great Artists Series Jan. 23.
The program will open with Pahud’s arrangements of Mozart’s Violin Sonata No. 21 in E minor and Clara Schumann’s “Three Romances.” Next will be Bach’s Flute Sonata in B Minor, followed by Nicolas Bacri’s Sonata No. 3 for Flute and Piano. The program will conclude with Pahud’s arrangement of César Franck’s Violin Sonata in A Major.
“We are thrilled to kick off the Great Artists Series with a recital from Emmanuel Pahud and Alessio Bax,” said series organizer Jennifer Gartley, an accomplished flutist who leads the applied music division within the Department of Music in Arts & Sciences. “Welcoming these world-class musicians to share their artistry with the St. Louis community creates collective experiences that are both awe-inspiring and deeply human. It’s going to be a an exciting season!”
About Emmanuel Pahud
Born in Geneva and raised in Paris, Rome and Brussels, Pahud began studying music at age 6 and won the National Competition of Belgium as a teenager in 1985. He made his concert debut with the National Orchestra of Belgium later that year. In 1992, after completing his training at the Conservatoire de Paris, he joined the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra as principal flutist.
Pahud has appeared as soloist with many of the world’s top orchestras, including the London and Monte Carlo philharmonics; the NHK Symphony Orchestra; the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra; and the Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France. He made his Carnegie Hall debut as part of a U.S. tour with the Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra.
A dedicated chamber musician, Pahud co-founded Le festival de l’Empéri in Salon-de-Provence, France. He has released 24 albums with EMI Classics — the only flutist in the world to have a solo recording contract with a major label — and made his jazz debut in 2003 with “Into the Blue,” a collaboration with pianist Jacky Terrasson. In 2009, Pahud was made a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture for his contribution to French music.
About Alessio Bax
Born and raised in Bari, Italy, Bax rose to international prominence with first prize wins at the 2000 Leeds International Piano Competition and the 1997 Hamamatsu International Piano Competition. As a recitalist, chamber musician and concerto soloist, he has appeared with more than 150 orchestras and collaborated with Marin Alsop, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Andrew Davis, Jaap van Zweden and other eminent conductors.
Great Artists Series
Launched in 2017, the Great Artists Series hosts intimate recitals with some of the brightest stars on the contemporary concert stage. With six performances — and more than 400 subscribers — the 2025 season will be the series’ most extensive to date.
Following Pahud, the series will continue Feb. 2 with pianist and MacArthur “genius award” recipient Sir Stephen Hough. Celebrated violinist Karen Gomyo, accompanied by pianist Orion Weiss, will perform Feb. 16.
On March 2, the Great Artists Series will welcome the return of Grammy Award-winning pianist Yefim Bronfman, followed by star tenor Lawrence Brownlee March 23. Vân-Ánh Võ & the Blood Moon Quartet, a chamber ensemble featuring traditional Vietnamese instruments, will conclude the series April 6.
Tickets and related events
Pahud’s performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, in WashU’s E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall. Tickets are $35-40, or $32-37 for WashU faculty and staff, and $15 for students and children. The E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall is located in the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., at the intersection with Delmar Boulevard. Tickets are available through the Edison Theatre Box Office, 314-935-6543. For more information, visit music.wustl.edu.
The Great Artists Series is made possible with support from the Regional Arts Commission and from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. Additional support is provided by David and Melanie Alpers.
