| Classique |
A Torrential Leap: April Clayton and Miguel del Aguila Redefine the Flute-Piano Repertoire with Vivid Lyricism and Daring Spirit.
It is not often that we cross the Rubicon into musical realms far removed from jazz. But occasionally, a project comes along that beckons us with such artistic clarity, we cannot help but follow its call. In this case, it is the inspired collaboration between Uruguayan-American composer Miguel del Aguila and American flutist April Clayton that invites listeners into a decade-long journey of musical invention. Spanning from 2014 to 2024, their new album presents a suite of works for flute and piano that comfortably resides within the realm of contemporary classical music, while simultaneously drawing on folkloric motifs that shimmer just beneath the surface, like ghost images superimposed on a deeper, modern canvas.
There is a romantic beauty at the heart of this project, one that quickly gives way to a deeper poetic impulse. The works here are not mere exercises in technical finesse or academic exploration, they are musical poems. The album unfolds in two movements of sorts: the first constructs vivid imaginary landscapes through sonic architecture, while the second leans toward storytelling, shaping narrative arcs with rhythm, texture, and melodic ingenuity.
Del Aguila’s reputation precedes him. A composer of astonishing breadth and global renown, his works have been performed by ensembles as distinguished as the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. His music has echoed through the halls of the Kiev Philharmonic, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and the orchestras of Chicago, Mexico City, São Paulo, and Reykjavik. His compositional voice has been brought to life by legendary conductors including Leonard Slatkin, Marin Alsop, JoAnn Falletta, and Giancarlo Guerrero, among many others.
Equally formidable is April Clayton, a figure well-known in the classical world as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral performer, and educator. For seven years, she served as Director of Chamber Music for the European American Musical Alliance in Paris, where she collaborated with faculty from Juilliard, the Paris Conservatoire, and the École Normale de Musique. Today, she continues to perform and teach internationally through the Da Capo Alliance, the nonprofit educational organization she founded in 2012. An award-winning soloist and respected studio musician, Clayton brings a depth of interpretive sensitivity that elevates every phrase she plays.
Listening to this album, one quickly senses the artistic chemistry between composer and performer.
Clayton transcends the notes on the page, delving into the emotional and textural dimensions of del Aguila’s music with fearless expression. His writing, rich in nuance and imbued with a disarmingly human sensitivity, becomes a canvas upon which she paints with the full palette of her artistry. This is not mere performance, it is transformation.
Take Torrential Raindance, the album’s title track. It is not simply a piece to be heard, but one to be felt viscerally. The music conjures the sensory rush of a downpour, evoking not just the physicality of rain, but its emotional weight. To fully appreciate its range, from the percussive violence of the piano to the breathy, almost whispered tones of the flute, high-fidelity speakers are a must. Only then can one grasp the full spectrum of this masterful recording.
This is more than just a collection of compositions. It is a deeply rewarding listening experience shaped by two artists who are clearly in profound dialogue with one another, and having, it seems, a tremendous amount of fun in the process. Torrential Raindance is a testament to what happens when virtuosity meets vision, when curiosity meets courage. And it may very well leave you, as it did me, not just impressed, but moved.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, July 21st 2025
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Dates:
Oct 16 – University of North Texas, Denton, TX
Oct 19 – Se. Johns United Methodist Chuch , Austin, TX
Musicians :
Miguel Del Aguila – compositions & piano
April Clayton – Flute