Viviana Guzman, Author at Viviana Guzman, International Flutist

Viviana in Vegas!

December 28, 2012 By Viviana Guzman

By now, I started calling this year my 2012 World Tour. The next few months would be on massive revolving door of exciting destinations non-stop, one after the other. Little did I know that I needed to fasten my seat belt and start getting used to the hugely fast pace of the next few months through the end of the year. I wouldn’t have thought that I was a Vegas type of Gal as I’m much more of an Earthy Mystic Gypsy rather than a Gamblin’ Glam Puss. But hey, I guess, for Vegas, for me, I had a smokin’ time!! Most of all I enjoyed filming these two little videos. I was there for the National Flute Association Convention.

I performed Thursday night my Las Vegas Style Show and then I focused on filming… have I mentioned how much I love making videos?? I filmed a few more videos for Flute Chats (yes, I know, I’m massively behind with this project…. another reason why I need to stay at home a wee bit more). I also orchestrated a Flute Flash Mob just outside the Caesar’s Palace Hotel at which 50 flutists showed up to play Stars and Stripes Forever (every piccolo player’s dream). All in all, I felt so moved by the camaraderie, the sharing, the friends, the exchanges, the good times that were had by all Flutists in Vegas that I decided to compile a little video to commemorate our experience together.

Vegas Flute Flash Mob Video

NFA Find Yours Video

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Caesar's Palace, flute, las vegas, national flute association convention, nevada, nfa, piccolo, tour, vegas, world tour

Rome. Venice.

December 28, 2012 By Viviana Guzman

How can you say no to Italy??? Certainly not I. Whenever my agent offers me Italy, I have to accept. The Roman streets were were sultry in the balmy summer air. Can you believe I even encountered a flute playing afar whist I was dinning?? I followed the delicious sounds down the dark alleys and found myself witnessing a Flute and Piano Recital amongst the Ancient Roman Ruins. How delightful!! I wan’t able to find out the name of this wonderful artist. I tried to find this flutist on Facebook unsuccessfully. He will never know how much I appreciated having found him performing in this romantic and historic setting. Someday I hope to return and present a recital in this very place.

Venice is always so splendid, magnificent, perennial. I always feel like I’m in a living version of Romeo and Juliet in Venice. It’s just so darn romantic. Someday I hope to visit with my lover….

Viviana Guzman Photography:

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: flute, italy, musician, rome, tour, touring, Venice

Salvador, Brazil

December 28, 2012 By Viviana Guzman

The Brazilians are by far The Most Affectionate Audience one could ever encounter. They express such enthusiasm, passion, love, and support, it’s the one place where a Flutist can actually feel like a Rock Star. Ahhhh, yes…. my Inner Leo loves THAT!!! Following is the standing ovation I got from my Brazilian audience after playing Lord of the Dance. Muito obrigada Brasil!!! Thank you Brazil!!!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: brazil, four, musician, rock star, salvador, touring, travel

Funchal, Portugal & Cadiz, Melilla, Cartagena, Spain

December 28, 2012 By Viviana Guzman

Did I mention that it was my intention to cut down on my travels? HA! It may be my intention to travel less, but not to give it up altogether, no. Instead of touring most of the time, I’m down to touring about 50% of the time. I’m still trying to find my perfect balance between home and the road as this is still a work in progress.

So when my agent waved Funchal, Cadiz, Melilla (North African province of Spain) and Cartagena, Spain I said, “YES!” I can’t help myself. I love to travel. Combine that with my other love, performing, and you have one happy camper named Viviana. So off to these exotic lands I went. My performances were very well attended and I got consistent standing ovations (yes, the Leo that resides inside of me believes this is very important).

The most interesting to me was Melilla with it’s Medieval Fortress and cobblestone streets. Despite being a Spanish province, people looked more Arab and they spoke Arab and Spanish and French. What an interesting place it was!

Playing in Cathedral in Spain

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: cadiz, cartagena, Concerts, flute, funchal, melilla, portugal, spain, tours, travel, Viviana Guzman

San Francisco Flute Festival

December 28, 2012 By Viviana Guzman

I started the San Francisco Flute Festival for several reasons. First, I had been so impressed by the way Matej Zupan and Salvatore Lombardi ran their flute festivals in Slovenia and Milan respectively, that I thought someday I would like to return the favor and ask them to come to San Francisco to perform for us. I’m feeling more and more called to start looking for reasons to keep me more at home rather than touring 95% of the time like I used to.

So in 2010, I decided to embark on producing the 1st San Francisco Flute Festival. I invited Matej Zupan (Slovenian Radio Symphony Orchestra) as well as Bulent Evcil (Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra), Timothy Day (San Francisco Symphony) and Robin McKee (San Francisco Symphony) to join us in our inaugural event. We held it in an oceanfront venue near my house in Half Moon Bay which was both charming and inspiring.

The event turned out to be so successful that we were thrilled to be able to launch the 2nd San Francisco Flute Festival this year, this time presented at the San Francisco Conservatory near the Civic Center in downtown San Francisco. Our guest artists included Gary Schocker, Mario Caroli, Christina Jennings, Nicole Esposito, Linda Lukas (San Francisco Symphony) 6 flute choirs, and San Francisco local flutists Areon Flutes, Carol Alban, Rebecca Kleinmann, Lars Johannesson, Pamela Ravenelle, Teresa Orozco, Gail Edwards, Ai Goldsmith.

The event would not have been possible without the generous sponsorship of our Corporate Members, Linda Shum, Diane Sangster and the amazing Sue Rupp whose attention to detail and diligent work help launch us from a one day festival to a two day festival. We had twice as many participants and attendees and loads of fun was had by all.

Viviana Guzman and Gary Schocker play Schocker

Mario Caroli plays Bach

Just Another Flutist, Joanna Tse’s review of the SF Flute Festival

Christina Jennings plays Caprice Variations

Nicole Esposito plays FLASH

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Bulent Evcil, california, christina jennings, flute festival, gary schocker, Mario Caroli, Matej Zupan, nicole esposito, Robin McKee, san francisco, san francisco flute festival, Timothy Day, Viviana Guzman

Festival of Four

December 28, 2012 By Viviana Guzman

At the beginning of the year I did a tour with my quartet, Festival of 4. We had concerts in Fort Walton, Florida and Biloxi, Mississippi where I also presented a Flute Masterclass at the Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, FL. The South is pleasant at that time of year as the weather is crisp and fresh. We had very enthusiastic audiences who gave us standing ovations and insisted we return soon. I really enjoyed presenting the Masterclass at the Northwest Florida State College. The Flute Professor there, Robin Horne, was especially gracious to have organized the class so quickly and to have had so many people in attendance despite the cold and rainy weather.

Festival of 4 then flew back West Coast where we played at the Rabobank Theater in Bakersfield, CA where Kid Rock had performed just days prior to us in the 3,000 seat theater. We managed to pull in a sizable audience of about 2,000 and again received a standing ovation and sold loads of CDs. I presented another Masterclass at the University of California, Bakersfield sponsored by Altus Flutes and generously co-ordinated by Audrey Boyle.

Festival of Four Promotional Video

Festival of Four Short Promotional Video

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: altus flutes, bakersfield, biloxi, festival of 4, festival of four, florida, ft. walton, kid rock, masterclass, niceville, rabobank theater

NAMM & Sh!t Flute Players Say

December 28, 2012 By Viviana Guzman

I attended the NAMM Convention 2012 where I visited with my wonderful flute maker Altus Handmade Flutes. I ended up hooking up with Fluterscooter and we filmed “Sh!t Flute Players Say” when those memes were popular in early 2012. Our video ended up with more than 40,000 views. We thought it was pretty good considering we whipped it up in less than 48 hours. This partnership lead us to subsequently film, “Things Nobody Says at NFA” which promoted our appearances at the National Flute Association Convention in Las Vegas.

Sh!t Flute Players Say