Coming up in Philly Music: Folk fantasy fluting with Astral Artists's Annie Wu

Annie Wu is a flutist who has won several noteworthy awards and soloed with orchestras like the San Francisco Symphony and the Vienna International. She’s also an Astral Artist—one of the winners in the highly competitive auditions conducted by a Philadelphia organization that provides extra career support for promising young musicians. This Saturday, Wu and pianist Feng Niu will present an Astral concert with a title that sums up the range of the program: Folk x Fantasy x Flute.

The menu will include items like Debussy’s "Afternoon of a Faun" but it won’t be limited to recognized favorites by acknowledged masters. The premiere in the lineup is a new piece by Anna Clyne, a young American who is spending a couple of years as the composer in residence for the Chicago Symphony, creating works premiered by Ricardo Mutti. Another major offering will be selections from Gabriella Lena Frank’s multi-cultural Snapshots for an Andean Album. Frank is an American of Peruvian-Chinese-Lithuanian-Jewish descent; her music is a response to photos of Andean life created by the first Native American to become a major photographer. The other composers represented will be Robert Schumann, Bela Bartok, and a couple of contemporary Europeans.

In the last 27 years, Astral has acquired a national reputation for its work. Its Center City concerts have become a major contribution to the Philadelphia music season. The WHYY website has a well made 9-minute video that captures the role Astral plays in the careers of its audition winners.

What, Where, When:

Astral will present Folk x Fantasy x Flute on Saturday November 2 at 7:30pm at the Church of the Holy Trinity, 1904 Walnut Street. Tickets are $22 General, $20 Senior (62 & over), and $5.00 Student (30 and under with ID) and they’re available online, (215) 735-6999, and at the door.