- Completed on August 30, 1997 in Seattle, WA
- Sterling silver
- 0.016″ tubing
- Drawn tone holes
- Open hole
- Pointed keys
- Inline G
- C# trill
- B-foot with gizmo key
- Embouchure: 10.18 mm x 11.85 mm
- Weight: 481
- Modern scale
- A=440 Hz
This flute was made for Felix Skowronek (1935-2006), former flute professor at the University of Washington, former principal flutist of the Seattle Symphony, and founding member of the Soni Ventorum Woodwind Quintet. He was known for performing on wooden flutes and insisting that his students also perform on wooden flutes or, at the very least, on wooden headjoint. Throughout his tenure as flute professor, he influenced a generation of flutists to appreciate the tonal qualities of wooden flutes. So, for Skowronek to commission Alexander Eppler (1955-2019) to make a silver flute is quite interesting! What is even more interesting is that Eppler is well known for his wooden headjoints. Skowronek referred to Eppler as “a genius, a wizard with wood,” and many of Skowronek’s students completed their music training on Eppler’s wooden headjoints.
This silver flute is very powerful. You get an energetic, brilliant sound with minimal effort. If you listen carefully, you can hear many similarities to a Powell flute from the same era, even though Eppler has never worked in the Powell workshop.
The tonal quality is also consistent in all registers. Moving from one register to another or from the right hand to the left hand is virtually seamless. The sound is also very flexible, from hollow to dense, from dark to penetrating, allowing you to adapt to other musicians readily.
The dynamic range is also very comprehensive. It can handle a lot of air for a booming, operatic sound and can play softly with clarity and lightness.
While the current headjoint on this flute was made by Eppler, it is a replacement, which was done by the third owner of this flute. (The current owner is number four.) The pads are in excellent condition, and the flute comes in its original case.
Price: $5,000
Sold as is. Sales tax applies to purchases within California. Additional shipping fees may be incurred for international orders. For inquiries on purchasing, please contact Gary Lewis.
