In the words of the late American composer, Katherine Hoover (1937-2018), “Kokopeli, the flute player, was a great Mahu (a Hawaiian term for people who embody both male and female spirit ), or legendary hero of the Hopi, and of other Native Americans living in the Southwestern area of the United States. He is said to have led the migrations through the mountains and deserts with the sound of his flute echoing through the great canyons and cliffs. In this piece, I have tried to capture some of this sense of spaciousness, and of the Hopi's deep kinship with this land. This piece has also been influenced by Native American flute songs and sounds.
As a young woman from West Virginia, Hoover wanted to major in music, but her parents thought it impractical. So in 1955, she enrolled at the University of Rochester. Two years later, she transferred to the Eastman School of Music where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Theory and a Performer’s Certificate in flute studies. She also studied composition, but felt discouraged she later said, by the fact she was the only woman in her composition classes and was rarely given individual attention.
Katherine moved to New York City and essentially taught herself to write music. She received a National Endowment Composer’s Fellowship and slew of other prizes, including an Academy of Arts and Letters Academy Award. The 1990 piece for solo unaccompanied flute, “Kokopeli,” sold more than 11,000 copies. In 2016 Hoover earned the National Flute Association’s Lifetime Achievement
Award. I think I can speak for all flutists when we say we miss Katherine Hoover immensely. I was blessed to have worked closely with her during the first UpTown Flutes digital recording where we premiered, "Three-for-Eight", when she was a featured guest artist at the Annual New Jersey Flute Choir Day and now finally, after so many years releasing a 2008 recording of Kokopelli. We miss you dear Katherine, but as the spirit of Kokopelli carries on so does your legacy. Thank you for this great addition to the flute literature. ~ Carla Auld
24 сен 2024
