Starting out as a student at the University of Otago, Douglas’ musical career has taken her all over the world, but is grounded in New Zealand where she performs, teaches and mentors many young players.
It has been several years since Douglas performed with the DSO and she is very much looking forward to playing as soloist in the two matinee series concerts, titled ‘‘Bridget and a French Connection’’, on April 18-19 at King’s and Queen’s Performing Arts Centre.
Conducted by Nicholas Braithwaite, the concerts will feature Douglas playing two classics of the 20th century flute repertoire — Malcolm Arnold’s Concerto No.1 for Flute and Strings, and Francis Poulenc’s Flute Sonata, orchestrated by Lennox Berkeley.
The pieces will be book-ended by Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll and Haydn’s Symphony No.88.
Douglas enjoys the matinee concert experience, particularly the opportunity to get ‘‘up close and personal’’ with the audience.
‘‘It’s nice to be able to see people’s faces when I’m performing — it adds to the fun of the concert,’’ she said.
The two pieces she will perform were both written in the 1950s, with Poulenc’s Flute Sonata — originally written for flute and piano — becoming one of the most loved pieces in the repertoire for flutists.
‘‘This version of the Flute Sonata has been beautifully orchestrated, so I’m delighted to be able to have my first opportunity to perform it this way,’’ she said.
Malcolm Arnold’s Concerto No.1 for Flute and Strings was written by a composer with a great sense of humour and was full of wit and fun, as well as impressive virtuosic passages, Douglas said.
‘‘I fell in love with this piece as a student, but haven’t had the opportunity to perform it since then, so I am really looking forward to next week’s concerts,’’ she said.
Along with being NZSO principal flute, Douglas is an artist-teacher in flute at the NZ School of Music, and is also a founding member of contemporary music ensemble Stroma and other groups.
She is in the midst of a busy period of NZSO rehearsals and chamber music performances in Wellington, ahead of flying to Dunedin next Thursday for rehearsals with the DSO.
‘‘I love to be busy and I feel very lucky to be able to be so busy in music,’’ she said.
‘‘I am fortunate to be able to play with such as big orchestra as the NZSO, but also with much smaller ensembles and as a soloist — it gives me great joy.
‘‘Variety is the spice of life, as they say.’’
