Melbourne-based Flautist, Sean Marantelli, was recently accepted into handful of elite Summer School programs for flute in Europe, to study amongst some of the most promising young flute players and professionals from around the globe, with some of the worlds most well established and renowned Flautists and Teachers. Having been accepted into the Sinaia Academy in Romania, The Scottish International Flute Summer School in Scotland, and the William Bennett International Flute Summer School in England, Sean will have the opportunity to participate in Master Classes and Lessons with many great players and teachers from around the world, including, but not limited to, Paul Edmund-Davies, Michael Cox, Wissam Boustany, Ian Clarke, Alison Mitchell, William Bennett and Lorna McGhee. The total cost of this study tour is going cost around $10'000 so even if the target is reached, donations and pledges are still more than welcome.

About Sean

Born and raised in Melbourne, Sean is currently studying flute, and is in his second year at The University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music under the direction of Alan Hardy. Sean also studies on Piccolo with Andrew MacLeod, Principal Piccolo of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.  Sean began his studies of the flute in high school commencing lessons at the age of 13 with Royal Australian Air Force Band Flautist, Emma Knight, and has been pursuing his passion for the instrument ever since, participating in an array of bands and orchestras, even managing to tour internationally with the Australian Youth Band by the age of 16. In 2016, Sean also received a scholarship from Melbourne Youth Music to play in the Melbourne Youth Orchestra, seated in the position of Principal Piccolo, and was invited as a select member of the orchestra to travel and perform Mahler's 1st Symphony with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. Sean has also received a scholarship for this tour and is looking forward to leaving for New Zealand in July of this year. Outside of his studies with Alan Hardy and Andrew MacLeod, Sean has also participated in master classes and lessons with many other teachers and performers including, Derek Jones, Head of Flute and Woodwind at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, James Kortum, Head of Flute at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music,  Margaret Crawford, Mardi McSullea, Luisa Sello and Prudence Davis, Principal Flute of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.




About The Courses:

Sinaia Summer Music Academy is an international instrumental Music Academy with the intent of helping young and promising students and professionals to cultivate their musical ability. It is held for violin, viola, cello and flute with a particular focus placed on the creation and performance of chamber music. Five of iterations of this Academy were hosted in France, and 2016 will see the 5th year that this course has been run in Romania. The workshops and courses are led by renowned artists and professors from prestigious academies. The most recent Sinaia Academy was attended by teachers from prestigious institutions such as the Royal Academy of Music London, the National Superior Conservatory of Paris, Scuola Universitaria di Musica in Lugano, Haute Ecole de Musique in Lausanne Conservatory of Nantes, University of Music in Cork, Royal Conservatory in Brussels Hochschule fur Musik Berlin Conservatory of Lille, National University of Music Bucharest. Over 400 musicians from South Africa, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Cyprus, South Korea, Costa Rica, Switzerland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Macedonia, Great Britain, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, the USA have already benefited from courses Summer Music Academy Sinaia.

Founded by Ruth Morley and Peter Lloyd in 1996, The Scottish International Flute Summer School is a renowned flute course now in its 21st year. It offers a chance to study with some of the world’s leading flute players in a relaxed and supportive environment. This unique flute course will allows young and hopeful flautists time and space to try out new ideas, to be challenged and take risks and to gain performance experience. The international element will allows students and players from around the world, to share philosophies and learn from each other. Teachers and performers who will be appearing at the 2016 program to tutor include, Yvonne Robertson, Wissam Boustany, Michael Cox, Ian Clarke, Ruth Morley and Lis Dooner.

The William Bennett International Flute Summer School, was established and is run by its namesake, William Bennett, and this year will be featuring special guest artist Lorna McGhee. William Bennett, head of flute at London's prestigious Royal Academy of Music has revolutionised the flute by elevating the profile of the flute by improving its pitch, by developing the use of different tone colours, and by endeavouring to make it as musically articulate and dignified as the string instruments or the voice. William Bennett's career developed as an international soloist and major recording artist and has received international acclaim and enthusiastic reviews in record and CD journals. He has made a large number of Recordings with other famous artists. Professorships at the Music Hochshule Freiburg and the Royal Academy of Music London and Masterclasses throughout the world have established William Bennett as one of the foremost teachers of the age. Continuing and developing the imaginative teaching of Marcel Moyse and Geoffrey Gilbert, William Bennett brings his own articulate and cogent reasoning together with his consummate artistry and musical integrity to the Master class situation.


During his time in Europe, Sean will be focusing his time and effort in to learning to master the instrument as best as he can whilst preparing many different pieces of flute repertoire including, the pieces 'Odellette' and 'Romance' by Camille Saint-Saens, the Concerto in G Major by W.A. Mozart, the beautiful unaccompanied work by Claude Debussy, 'Syrinx', and a modern unaccompanied work by the composer Ian Clarke, from whom Sean will be learning, 'The Great Train Race'. Sean will also be using this trip as an opportunity to work on his audition skills in preparation for auditions for the Australian International Symphony Orchestra Institute (AISOI) and the Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO).