Antequera for solo flute

Katrina Penman: Antequera for solo flute was written in 2022. The work was commissioned by the Spanish Flute Association (AFE - Asociación de Flautistas de España) specifically to serve as the compulsory test piece for their 2023 Young Artists' Competition in Málaga, Spain.
The piece is deeply rooted in the geography and folklore of Andalusia, specifically the city of Antequera in the province of Málaga.
The primary inspiration is the Peña de los Enamorados (Lovers' Mountain). According to local legend, a Christian commander and a Muslim princess, unable to be together in life, threw themselves from the peak to be reunited in death.
The music evokes specific images described by Penman:
"Beneath the mountain, the land is rich with white poppy plantations, the flowers that are cultivated to make medicinal opium. These are a few of the images that inspired this composition: the joy of love, the bravery and desperation of the lovers, their remains that lie below the flowers that now bloom in the fields, and their free spirits that fly eternally through the skies of this land."
In 2022, Penman was preparing works for her monographic albums Lumina and Beyond, which feature many of her flute compositions. She was actively touring with pianist Claudia Vior and collaborating with guitarist María Elena de Prada on projects highlighting women in culture.