Quick Biography

Emmanuel Pahud (January 27, 1970) is a French and Swiss flute player.

He was born in Geneva, Switzerland. His parents are of both French and Swiss background . The Berlin-based flautist is most known for his performances as recitalist, soloist, chamber musician and principal flutist of the Berliner Philharmoniker . His repertoire originates in baroque and classical flute repertory, but he expanded it a lot with transcriptions for the romantic works, as well as countless commissions of new works, mostly for flute and orchestra.

Pahud was born into an non-musical family. As a young boy living in Italy, the sounds of the flute captivated Pahud. From the age of 6 to the age of 22, he was tutored and mentored by flautists such as François Binet, Carlos Bruneel, Michel Debost and Aurèle Nicolet. Classically trained at the Conservatoire de Paris, he leapt into the international orchestral and solo music scene after winning international competitions and when he joined the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 1992.

His versatility in music styles over the years has “signalled the arrival of a new master flautist.” (The Guardian). He plays in diverse music genres, whether baroque, jazz, contemporary, classical, orchestral, or chamber music.