Welcome to the Wisconsin Flute Festival

Rhonda Larson is a Grammy Award-winning player of the flute, born and raised in the mountains of Montana.  This Big Sky Country in the Wild West helped form her into a nature-loving, free spirited trail blazing artist. She entered the national music scene by winning first prize in the National Flute Association’s Young Artist Competition at the age of 22, including a Carnegie Hall debut. Shortly thereafter, Rhonda was invited to join forces with the Paul Winter Consort, initiating her journey into a rich palette of music gleaned from around the world.

Composing much of her own music, Larson’s visionary force showcases her gold flute and an array of ethnic flutes in a new and refreshing light. Rhonda has also expanded the sonic capabilities of her instrument with entirely new techniques, most notably her inventive flute-and-voice unison, performed simultaneously.

Rhonda’s latest CD release, Live from China, features her band Ventus from a recent twenty-five city tour throughout China.  Most of the selections are Larson’s original World Fusion compositions, including arrangements of traditional Celtic, Armenian, Romanian, and Chinese melodies.  The recording offers a bonus track of Rhonda’s new solo, Metamorphosis, which took her four years to write due to its inherent complexities and inventive techniques she has developed further.  “No piece has ever taken this long to complete, but I really have no other choice than to humbly allow the time it takes for the music to evolve, and IT lets me know when it is ready to be offered.  The title speaks to its musical journey, but also as a metaphor to my own development on both a sacred and technical level.  My first priority is to artistic authenticity, hoping to better serve the odds of lifting people’s hearts—THAT is why I am a musician.”

Read more about Rhonda Larson.