Ancient Trees Flute Concerto

Commissioned by Thomas Pike and the Vintage Parlor Orchestra, Ancient Trees Flute Concerto is a 19-minute work for solo flute, alto flute, and piccolo with full orchestra. Composer Andrew Bergeron crafted each of its three movements around inspiration drawn from some of the oldest and most magnificent trees in the United States: the coastal redwoods and giant sequoias of California and the 2,000-year-old bristlecone pines of Nevada. These landscapes came alive during Bergeron's Folias Duo tour last summer, providing the natural foundation for this new composition.

In developing the work, Bergeron undertook careful study of some of the greatest concertos ever written. The first movement reflects Mozart's Violin Concerto in G and Haydn's Cello Concerto in D. The second draws from Rodrigo's Concierto pastoral and Vaughan Williams' Violin Concerto in D minor. The third takes structural and expressive cues from Bach's Violin Concerto in A minor. These classical models shaped the piece's character, phrasing, and dialogue while weaving together the natural inspiration of ancient trees.

The premiere will be performed November 21 and 22, 2025 at the Wealthy Theater in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with Carmen Maret as soloist.