Rhonda Larson & Ventus Billing:

“Grammy Award-winning flutist Rhonda Larson & Ventus in Concert”

Background and Descriptions: Flutist Rhonda Larson, a Montana native, first came into recognition by winning first prize in the National Flute Association’s Young Artist Competition in 1985, resulting in a debut in Carnegie’s Recital Hall prior to her senior year of university. She was subsequently invited by Paul Winter to become a member of his renowned Paul Winter Consort, and spent many collaborative years together recording, producing, and performing world-wide. The association culminated in winning a Grammy Award for her work with that group. After her tenure with the Consort, Rhonda parted company to pursue her individual music path.

Currently, Ms. Larson is a resident of southwestern Michigan, where she formed Ventus, her five-member band. Ventus, Latin for “wind”, expresses the essence of Larson’s vision and approach to music: “like wind-trails across the sea, we follow unpredictable musical paths with are boundary-less, with inherent musical qualities of inspiration that celebrate the human spirit.” Like that wind, their music soars beyond industry labels and parameters. It is a merging of the most soulful elements of sacred, Celtic, classical, folk, jazz and ethnic music derived from ancient folk sources, as well as original compositions by Rhonda Larson. In addition to the familiar western European flute, Larson performs on an array of ethnic flutes and is joined by keyboards, acoustic guitar, bass, and a variety of hand percussion from around the world. Rhonda Larson & Ventus’ music has the precision and virtuosity of their individual classical training, and the accessible charisma of world music rhythms and melodies. Their concerts are like an international musical pilgrimage. They recently performed in Minsk, Belarus under the auspices of the US Embassy---a natural fit for Larson, given that her forte is using music as a diplomatic medium to address the shared experiences of the human soul.

Larson is featured on more than 20 commercial recordings, including two solo releases, “Free as a Bird”, and her newly debuted “Distant Mirrors”. The latter was voted second place for September’s 2003 Echoes nationally syndicated Public Radio program, as well as placing eighth in Echoes 25 Essential CD's for 2003.

Rhonda Larson journeyed to South Africa as a musical ambassador for the US to perform for the Parliament of the World’s Religions, sharing the stage with such luminaries as Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. For more than seventeen years, Ms. Larson has performed all over the world delighting her audiences with a style all her own, highlighted by a unique technical ability to play both harmony and melody at the same time. She is a true virtuoso. As the News Times of Connecticut put it, “this handsome sylph with the cascade of blonde curls and the articulate manner shows not only remarkable technique but great musicality…Part mystic, part leprechaun, here is a woman who bridges worlds.” She recently returned from nine months teaching in Ramallah, Palestine at the Edward Said Conservatory of Music.

The comment Ms. Larson hears most frequently following her shows goes something like this (in all its variations): “…my wife made me come, and I couldn’t imagine what a flute concert would be like, and you have completely converted me. I had no idea flute could sound like that, and you touched me very deeply. My wife won’t have to force me to come the next time….”.

When asking Ms. Larson what people might expect at their performance, she immediately responded with, “Two sure things: 1) To be happily surprised, and 2) "This is not your Grandmother's flute recital!"

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