EXTENDING THE TRAVERSO SOUND

Until this day I remember how I encountered the traverso and its sound, feeling the vibrations, the imagined sound waves of this (to me) uniquely sounding instrument, in my chest and throat the very first time I tried to play it. Of course, back then, the sound was probably more like a whisper, only waiting to be explored and developed and encountered in many different contexts, which – back then – I could not have known, but deep down in me, somehow could feel its potential.
The fascination with the traverso sound has been with me ever since that moment & I believe it was the very first reason that pulled me towards pursuing early music studies – I wanted to really dive into the sound and playing technique of the traverso.
I have been exploring the traverso sound throughout my whole studies, while at the same time slowly bringing it into different contexts – into new music performances, into music theatre, into overlaps with experimental music and interdisciplinary art.
It is in these spaces ´in-between´, spaces where the traditional is questioned and placed into new contexts, where I have found my passion, and currently my performance practice involves both interpreting and commissioning new music for the flauto traverso and using traverso outside of its traditional contexts, such as in movement performance/music theatre or experimental / improvised music.

​This is just to give you a background of where I am coming from and why I see the benefits of the practice of extended sonorities on the traverso. 

* an introduction to the article ´Practice Pill: Extending the Traverso Sound´, published on May 15, 2025 at TraversoPracticeNet, full article HERE

The Limits of Traverso; Exploring the sound possibilities of traverso through contemporary music

In 2020, during my studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, I wrote my research paper on the sound of the traverso and exploring its sound possibilities through contemporary music study and performance. This research was later published at the Research Catalogue. It can be found online here: The Limits of Traverso; Exploring the sound possibilities of traverso through contemporary music.

ABSTRACT: In ‘early music’ performance today ΄sound΄ does not get as much attention as other expressive devices, even though the sound was an inseparable part of expression in music performance in 18th century. This research attempts to explore the traverso and its expressive sound possibilities when placed in the field of contemporary music. The tonal capabilities of the traverso will be viewed from the perspectives of both 18th century sources and modern-day ΄early΄ and ΄classical music practice΄. The research considers what have sometimes been seen as the instrument´s “limitations” and “imperfections”, asking how they could be positively exploited in contemporary music. At the same time, so-called ‘extended techniques ’for the modern flute are explored on the baroque flute, by a study and performance of two contemporary compositions for traverso solo. At the end, I will be looking at how this untraditional perception of traverso sound could open up our expressive imagination in performance of the traditional 18th century traverso repertoire. The research hopes to bring some new inspirations for traverso players as well as other ΄early music΄ performers, and to clarify the distinctive role of sound as an expressive device in early instruments. It also hopes to inspire composers to write more contemporary acoustic music using the specific sonority of this instrument.

Currently, my work on the exploration of the sonority of the traverso and the use of this instrument and its specific sonic qualities continues in a form of collaborations with composers from all over the world, focusing specifically on young composers starting their professional carreer but working also with some already established ones. Our collaboration lies in leading a dialogue on what is possible with the instrument and with the ideas either of us proposes while underlining and embracing the fragile sonic quality of the traverso as well as its possible expanded sonorities. Use of my voice and my poetry comes into the creative process in some cases as well.

The result of some collaborations can be seen in a developing and further progressing project FANTASIAS & ABSTRACTIONS FOR TRAVERSO SOLO, which has started in 2022, as well as in an upcoming project 2 DOMOVY : 2 HOMES, which is my collaboration with 7 different composers from 7 different countries, writing pieces for traverso solo, while we together explore the sonority of the traverso and the questions and feelings of home, (not) belonging and connection through new music pieces, ongoing conversations about music and life and folklore-inspired and (my) poetry-inspired ideas.