Robert Aitken
Canadian flutist and composer Robert Aitken studied flute with Nicholas Fiore, Marcel Moyse, Jean-Pierre Rampal and Severino Gazzelloni; of the significant figures, Aitken regards Moyse as the teacher who had the most impact on his own playing. Aitken's composition studies were undertaken with Barbara Pentland and John Weinzweig. At the tender age of only 19, Aitken was principal flutist of the Vancouver Symphony from 1958 to 1959, and Aitken's record stands, as he still the youngest flutist to hold first chair in this symphony's history. Aitken completeed his music degrees at the University of Toronto in 1965, where he also worked in the Electronic Music Studio, composing the works Composition for flute and tape (1962), Hamlet (Incidental Music) (1963), Noesis (1964) and a Quartet for flute, oboe, viola, and contrabass (1961). Aitken's primary public debut was with his own piece, Concert for 12 Soloists and Orchestra (1968) premiered by Seiji Ozawa conducting the Toronto Symphony, where Aitken held first flute chair from 1965 to 1970. Aitken has premiered more than 65 works of other composers, most written expressly for him, including Elliott Carter, Roger Reynolds, George Crumb, Toru Takemitsu and R. Murray Schafer, with whom Aitken has worked particularly closely, premiering Schafer's opera Patria I: Wolfman in 1987.
Robert Aitken's flute playing is noted for the clarity of his tone and a subtle sense of phrasing, and concert tours has led him all over the word. In addition to many other distinctions, Aitken was a prize-winner at the 1971 Concours International de Flûte de Paris. As a composer, he has received numerous important commissions. Aitken's earlier works, such as Spectra for four chamber groups (1969) were structured around transformations of the twelve-tone series and exhibit an interest in spatial modulation of sound. After a five-month Asian journey in 1970, Aitken was greatly influenced by his experiences there, and this is reflected in his Shadow pieces. The composition Spiral (1975) features amplification of one instrument each from several blended woodwind pairs, creating fascinating timbres. Robert Aitken's later pieces are influenced by minimalism. Aitken founded the summer chamber music festival Music at Shawnigan in 1981, which continues of under the aegis of the Johannesen International School of the Arts. Although Aitken had retired from most of his teaching posts by 2001, he remains active in other ways, and from 2003 he has appeared regularly with the New York Flute Club, leading them in the New World disc Henry Brant: Music for Massed Flutes in 2006.
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Takemitsu : Toward the Sea / Rain Tree / Rain Spell / Bryce
Robert Aitken, Toronto New Music Ensemble
Chamber Music - Released by Naxos on Oct 18, 2003
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Vox Balaenae
Chamber Music - Released by Naxos on Nov 27, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Concertos pour flûte
Classical - Released by Naxos on Nov 17, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Doppler, Franz / Karl: Complete Music for Flutes and Piano
Per Oien, Robert Aitken, Geir Henning Braaten
Chamber Music - Released by BIS on Jan 1, 1979
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
MCPHEE / EVANGELISTA / DUGGAN: O Bali - Colin McPhee and his Legacy (Colin McPhee - Jose Evangelista - Mark Duggan)
Classical - Released by CBC on Jan 1, 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart : Musique pour flûte et orchestre (Robert Aitken)
Concertos - Released by CBC on Jan 1, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
KOPROWSKI: Flute Concerto / Accordion Concerto / Viola Concerto (Peter Paul Koprowski)
Classical - Released by CBC on Jan 1, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jeux A Deux
Classical - Released by Marquis Classics on Jan 1, 1982
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
BACH, C.P.E.: Flute Concertos and Sonatas
Robert Aitken, CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Colin Tilney, Mario Bernardi, Margaret Gay
Classical - Released by CBC on Apr 20, 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Henry Brant: Music For Massed Flutes
New York Flute Club, Robert Aitken
Classical - Released by New World Records on Jan 1, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
French Flute Music
Chamber Music - Released by BIS on Jan 1, 1980
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Flute And Harp Music
Chamber Music - Released by BIS on Jan 1, 1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Damase / Lauber / Takemitsu: Music for Flute and Harp
Chamber Music - Released by BIS on Nov 30, 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Secret of the Seven Stars
Stefan Hussong, Robert Aitken, New Music Concerts, David Eagle
Classical - Released by Centrediscs on Aug 7, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Neue Bilder: The Music of James Harley
New Music Concerts, Robert Aitken
Chamber Music - Released by Centrediscs on Nov 16, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Aitken: Romantic Flute (The)
Chamber Music - Released by BIS on Jun 30, 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elmer Iseler Conducts Canadian Music
Elmer Iseler Singers, Lawrence Cherney, Sandra Graham, Elmer Iseler, Robert Aitken, Orford String Quartet
Classical - Released by Centrediscs on Jan 1, 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Romantic Flute
Robert Aitken, Robert Bick, Susan Hoeppner
Classical - Released by Marquis Classics on Jun 3, 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stahmer: Night And Dreams
Wolfgang Weigel, Klaus Heitz, Robert Aitken, EsBé Quartet
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Apr 5, 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Spohr / Donizetti / Krumpholz / Hovhaness: Music for Flute and Harp
Classical - Released by BIS on Jan 31, 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Arietta & Variations
Per Øien, Geir Henning Braaten, Robert Aitken
Classical - Released by Pro Musica on Aug 5, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo