Ida Heidel is a Norwegian composer and flutist. Her professional career includes composition and flute studies, teaching flute, as well as composing for and playing in various music ensembles all over the world within contemporary and improvised music. Due to this impressive background, Heidel has received several grants, commissions and prizes.
The Orchestre de Flûtes Français, OFF, was founded in 1985. Heidel played in the Orchestra in its early years. She has previously been a student of the founder of OFF, Monsieur Pierre Yves Artaud, who is an important and dedicated character to the Orchestra and to the French flutist network in general. OFF is known for giving many premier performances from composers across the globe.
Heidel plays in OFF on a regular basis today. Crescent is her second commission to the Orchestra. The Orchestra currently consists of 24 flutists who together represent the entire flute family, from piccolo to octobass. 15 of them travelled from Paris to New Orleans to participate in the flute convention, whereof the two Norwegian flutists Ida Heidel Heidel and Linn Anett Ernø.
The Norwegian Composers Fund is supported the commission of Heidel’s new piece, while her trip to the U.S. is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Music Norway and the Norwegian Composers Union.
Heidel explains that the idea of this piece circulated in her mind long before she began writing it down. The title Crescent is a reference to the shape of the piece, a crescent - a half-moon that grows and increases in size and volume, and also to one of New Orleans’ nicknames - The Crescent City. The historical Old Town, including the French Quarter where the concert is held, creates a curve alongside the Mississippi river. This was one of the few places possible to settle in before the dikes were constructed, and also one of the few places untouched by Katrina, Heidel explains. She adds that another encouragement when composing was John Coltrane and his piece Crescent, one of Heidel’s role models.
- I have been inspired by the history, the geography and the shape. As the birthplace of jazz, as a curve that is introvert but also expanding, and as a shape with movement and dynamics, Heidel says about composing Crescent as a reference to New Orleans.
The piece has a contemporary sound and a clear musical form. During the 15 minute long journey, the Orchestra plays, talks, whispers and moves as the sound grows increasingly expansive and more intense. The piece is filled with uenexpected twists, humor and surprises. Heidel has created a whole of her different musical experiences and expressions. The solists were Pierre Yves Artaud, Catherine Debever-Perrier and Heidel herself, while the perfomance was conducted by Marc Hajjar.
As a tribute to the premiere, the Norwegian Consulate General of Houston and the Honorary Consulate of New Orleans arranged a reception after the concert. The Honorary Consul of New Orleans, Mr. Jimmy Baldwin, and his wife Karen welcomed the Orchestra to their home to host a lovely cocktail party. The following day the Orchestra played a final concert before returning to Paris.
Heidel’s piece will later be performed as Crescent 2, a version that also features percussion. This concert takes place in Paris this fall, on October 14.