November 7, 8, 9 2025
The Musical Instrument Museum 
North El Rio Room
4725 E Mayo Blvd, Phoenix, AZ

The magical flute exhibtion

Beauty, Enchantment, & Power

All three days of The Magical Flute Opening Weekend Signature Event feature a concert by the internationally acclaimed Desert Echoes Flute Project and a demonstration by DEFproject members Christina Steffen, Chris Smith, and Sam Lupe of an array of flutes.

Flute Family Demonstration
11:00–11:30a.m.
Event Room 2
See members of the internationally acclaimed flute choir Desert Echoes Flute Project, Arizona’s premier flute ensemble organization, as they discuss and demonstrate the sounds of an array of flutes. From the tiny piccolo to the gigantic and rare double contrabass flute, plus a variety of flutes in various materials (bamboo, wood, glass, bone, and more), played in different ways from around the world and throughout history including a European Baroque flute, Native American flute, the Hawaiian nose flute and more.

Flute Choir Performance
12:45–1:15 p.m.
North El Río
Experience the captivating sounds and melodies of the Desert Echoes Flute Project in a performance that features works written for the ensemble: El Fuego de la Noche by Grammy-award winning composer and arranger Bob Freedman was composed as a gift in 2013, Lustre of the dying day is the first movement of a work by Alexandra Molnar-Suhajda commissioned for the 10th anniversary of DEF Project, and Jonathan Cohen’s new work, Desert Echoes, Vignettes of Desert Life, written for DEF Project who gave the world premiere at the 2025 NFA Convention in Atlanta. The latter work is a collection of movements depicting the awakening dawn of Aravaipa canyon, Meerkats at the Phoenix Zoo, a Tarantula Tango, an encounter between a roadrunner and a rattlesnake (lunch is involved), and lastly, Nightfall. The program includes Single Yellow Line by Gareth McLearnon, a terrific groove piece with fun extended techniques and a fabulous transcription of Ernesto Lecuona’s Malaguena arranged by Ann Cameron Pearce. This renowned flute choir uses piccolos, Eb soprano flute, C flute, alto flutes, bass flutes, three contrabass flutes and the double contrabass flute.