• Emma Halnan & Daniel King Smith at Breinton

    Emma Halnan & Daniel King Smith at Breinton

  • Emma Halnan & Daniel King Smith at Breinton

    Emma Halnan & Daniel King Smith at Breinton

  • Emma Halnan & Daniel King Smith at Breinton

    Emma Halnan & Daniel King Smith at Breinton

  • Emma Halnan & Daniel King Smith at Breinton

    Emma Halnan & Daniel King Smith at Breinton

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It takes a lot to be a successful musician. One needs to be a brilliant performer to begin with, but she or he must be a good communicator to build a rapport with the audience. She or he must be an excellent presenter of their own art, must have a charming personality to appeal to the audience, and be efficient with a promoter like me! I felt today’s performer Emma Halnan satisfied and ticked all these boxes.

The programme by flautist Emma Halnan and pianist Daniel King Smith offered a tightly-packed delight, including two pieces that were written for them. Bach’s Flute Sonata in E flat featured the musicians’ effortless harmony with co-ordination between the playful piano with a delightfully light touch and the flute’s joyful singing tone. The dreamy, swinging, and intertwiningly dynamic performance of Sancan’s Sonata added spice to the concert.

Rarely have we come across an opportunity to hear the solo flute, but here we were. The skippingly jovial Polka theme changed into many different forms, all performed with momentum and super articulation.

Sir Karl Jenkin’s composition, written for Emma and Dan, was a musical reflection on the Welsh countryside at Ryders Down. The performance expressed scenic views and nature noises such as whistles, echoes and wind through astonishingly varied sound making.

For the last piece, it was a bonus that composer James Francis Brown was in the audience. We very much appreciated his short speech revealing some very interesting hidden episodes! Beautifully performed with full conviction, the work stretched the flute’s capacity to the maximum, to which Emma responded fantastically and created a thrilling sound world. The duo-ship was natural and seamless, rhythmically tossing-and-receiving effortlessly, always complimenting each other.

To conclude the Breinton year of 2019 was a beautiful melody of Faure’s Morceau de Concours.

  • JS Bach: Sonata in Eb major BWV 1031

  • Sancan: Sonatine pour flûte et piano

  • John Buckley: Variations on the Geneeveguilla Polka (solo flute)

  • Karl Jenkins: Ryers Down

  • James Francis Brown: Sonata for flute and piano

In demand flautist Emma Halnan first came to prominence as the woodwind category winner of BBC Young Musician 2010. In the grand final, she broadcast Reinecke’s flute concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales live on BBC television and radio. Since then, she has gone on to perform at many of the major UK venues including Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall and St John’s Smith Square. She has performed live on BBC Radio 3’s “In Tune” on multiple occasions, as well as being broadcast on BBC Radio 2’s “Friday Night is Music Night” as soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra. Emma has also appeared as concerto soloist with orchestras such as the European Union Chamber Orchestra and the Welsh Sinfonia. Her 2018 diary included two performances of Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto with the London Mozart Players and royal harpist Anne Denholm.

Daniel King Smith has given concerts all over the world as both soloist and accompanist. He has been broadcast on both BBC TV/Radio in the UK (In Tune, Proms, Young Musician of the Year) and NHK TV/Radio in Japan, most recently in recital with Yuki Ito as part of NHK’s “Best of Classic” and “Classic Club” series. Daniel has recorded a number of CDs, including releases with Yuki Ito for Sony and with Anna Hashimoto on the Meridian label.

As a soloist, Daniel’s extensive concerto repertoire has lead to many concerts in the UK and around Europe. He has frequently been a featured Solo Classical Artist on many Cruise lines around the world.