Filadelfio Puglisi

Thursday 18th July will forever be remembered by me, as the day I finally met Filadelfio Puglisi. I have owned and played a renaissance flute by Puglisi since my teacher Nancy Hadden introduced me to his flutes back in the late 80’s. As a somewhat lazy and spoilt pupil, I bought and played this flute without ever seeking out Filadelfio in person.
About a month ago, I received an email from Filadelfio saying that he had come across a recording of ‘Amarilli mia Bella’ that I posted on YouTube last year, recorded on the Flutes in Tuscany course.
How honoured and thrilled I was that he visited us all in Tereglio today, with his lovely wife. We were able to chat about the beautiful boxwood flute I have been playing for the past thirty years and he could hear and see his flute once more. The flute course attendees could ask questions and the woods he uses, the models he has copied, the techniques he uses and hear me playing the variety of tenor, soprano and bass flutes he had so kindly brought with him from Florence. Finally, if that was not enough generosity, he handed me a new flute – as a gift – which I will treasure and play with enormous pride and gratitude. Words cannot describe how excited I am to have finally met the maker of my most treasured and favourite flute. Thank you Filadelfio Puglisi!!!