Listening is perhaps the most important thing to be a musician

Raffaele Trevisani is a world-renowned Italian virtuoso flutist often referred to by critics as the "Singing Flute" for his lyrical expressiveness and rich tone.
Unlike many child prodigies, Trevisani did not begin playing the flute until he was 20 years old. He was initially drawn to the instrument not by its sound, but by a fascination with its mechanical complexity, likening it to motorcycle engines.
He was largely self-taught in his early stages before enrolling in a school for amateurs and later graduating with honors from the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan. He developed a unique lifelong relationship with Sir James Galway spanning four decades. This mentorship became the foundation of his technical mastery. Today, he performs on a 14-carat gold Muramatsu flute that formerly belonged to Galway.
He began his professional career playing in the orchestra of Teatro alla Scala under conductors Claudio Abbado and Riccardo Muti.
In 1988, he left orchestral work to pursue a solo career. He has since performed in major global venues such as Wigmore Hall (London), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), and the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.
He frequently performs and records with his wife, pianist Paola Girardi. Several composers, including Carlo Galante and Alberto Colla, have dedicated world concertos to him.
As of 2026, he continues to serve as a flute professor at the Civica Scuola di Musica "Claudio Abbado" in Milan.
Since 1991, he has hosted an annual international summer flute seminar in Premeno on Lake Maggiore.
He has appeared on the cover of the Italian music magazine Amadeus multiple times and has served as a juror for prestigious international contests like the Carl Nielsen and Theobald Boehm competitions.
We met Raffaele in Riga after his masterclass at the Jāzeps Vītols Music Academy of Latvia and wanted to know more about his fascinating story about Galway, his studies with him, and what is the main difference between studying flute then and now.

You didn’t begin playing flute as a child. When did your journey with the flute really start?

I was nearly twenty. Completely from zero, but I was surrounded by music from childhood. I played piano from the age of six. My parents always had music in the house – Mozart, Beethoven, Frank Sinatra, Fred Buscaglione (beloved Italian singer-songwriter), and Neapolitan songs, because my father was from Naples. The first record my father ever gave my mother was Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto. I still have it. So, the music was already inside me, and I continued to play piano by ear, as a teenager I used to play songs by The Beatles or Pink Floyd. The pieces like “Atom Heart Mother” you could show off as a teenager, you know.
Then I went to visit my friend from school who offered to help me with the math, he was very patient with me. There, I saw a flute on the piano, and I asked him – what is that? He said “flute” and played something for me.
What attracted me to the flute was not the sound at first – it was the shape of the instrument, and the mechanism. I loved motorbikes. I liked engines. And when I saw the keys moving, the mechanical beauty of the instrument fascinated me. It wasn’t so boring as a trumpet in that matter, you know. So, I tried to play it and couldn’t produce any decent sound on it. Then this friend offered me to keep this flute for one week. When I went home, I just tried to blow it for five minutes before I was about to faint. I didn’t know how to play, and there weren’t YouTube videos available at that time either. Nevertheless, after two days I was already counting how many days were left before I had to return it. I felt anxiety, I could not separate myself from the instrument.
So, I bought one.

How old were you at that point?

Nineteen, almost twenty. At that point I couldn’t separate myself from the flute. I joined school for amateurs, we were some young adults in one class with kids, it was a bit embarrassing.
After only six months of study, something unusual happened. The professor, who taught me was amazed by the progress I made, he couldn’t believe that I played that well only after six months of study.
During that time, we used to go to “La Scala” quite often since Daniele, the son of Claudio Abbado was among group of my friends. After one of such concerts we met with Glauco Cambursano, the solo flutist at “La Scala” who invited our group of friends to his house. He looked like a real guru to us: he had long hair and a long beard, and everyone was fascinated by him and his stories about music. And then, at some point he asked me: What do you do? Do you play flute? Here, take this flute and play! He was very pushy and I was very, very shy, can you imagine? So, he gave me an old wooden Louis Lot flute, with open keys. I remember it very well since I could not play open keys, because I was playing only with closed keys. Nevertheless, I somehow managed to play part of the Mozart’s concerto in D Major, and he was in shock! He said it’s not possible! He couldn’t believe that I played the flute only for six months. So, he started to give me a lesson that went on until 4 in the morning. I guess he was taken by my musicality, how I felt music – after all I was surrounded by music from my early days and I was listening great performers in their recordings or at the “La Scala”.
That’s how I teach my students up until now, that listening is perhaps the most important thing to be a musician, perhaps it’s even more important than practicing a lot. The thing is about how you absorb music, that’s what matters the most.

So, for me to express myself came rather naturally, I had listened to so many Mozart concertos up until that night that playing the flute concerto, feeling the right tempo felt very natural to me. Later, when I was studying at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan, some students and other professors came to my lessons to listen to me playing, and even used to call me “the prodigy of Milan”.
So, three-four years went by and James Galway came to Milan to play a concert at “La Scala”. When I started to study flute, of course, I was listening to many recordings of Rampal, Graf, Marion, and, of course, Galway. Sometimes I was listening to these recordings non-stop, for whole day.
The concert was fantastic, of course! Then, the next morning, after the concert, something very unusual happened. Around nine o’clock in the morning, I received a phone call from one of my friends: come to bar at the Las Scala, here we are with James Galway, and we don’t know what to do – come!
So, I arrive at the bar and see that James Galway is there, so, it’s not a joke then. The thing is that my friends introduced me to him as “the best flute player in Milano”. I was playing the flute no more than three years at that time… at that point I wanted to kill that guy who said that and then commit suicide. I couldn’t say anything, really… To make it even more awkward, Jimmy said let’s go and try some flutes then. Then he produced a box with various flutes inside, we got into my car and went to his friend’s house, just three of us. When we got there, he opened the box and started to distribute his precious flutes. He had one Powel flute with silver keys and two original Cooper flutes, the famous ones. This was the first time in my life when I saw a golden flute. I was so overwhelmed that I couldn’t play, it was impossible for me. Then James played some show pieces, and some duos with another guy who was there. Can you imagine my situation at that point? I couldn’t play, just held that flute for some time, that’s it.
So, when it was over, before he was about to leave, he told me that I have a very good hand position. In fact, at Milano Conservatory we were paranoid about the perfect flute position, after all, it is a delicate instrument. Later I found out that James didn’t like when someone played flute slapping the keys. He very often used to say “Don’t slap the keys!”

Then, I took all my courage and asked: Can I ask you one thing? Can you play me this kind of color of sound? And I tried to play low G with this color I was trying to produce myself. He said, yes, sure and played for me this color. Since then, this color has been fixed in my mind, because I heard it from such a close distance. I remember that moment very well since I also thought to myself that perhaps I won’t see him ever again… So, that was it for that night. And, since he played three concerts in La Scala, three nights in a row, we went to each of them, of course.
Then he went on tour to other places: in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, all over Europe. That’s when I started to follow him, driving from one place to another. I literally went from concert to concert just to listen to his playing. Sometimes he recognized me and even let me go up to his hotel room. That’s how, gradually, the real work on flute started for me. He gave me flute lessons that nobody throughout the world could have at that time. So, I have been studying with Jimmy for 40 years, and I believe that nobody in the whole world can claim that kind of experience. Besides, this flute you see here, is Jimmy’s flute that he gave me. See the diamonds?
So, I started this big relationship with him, practicing only with him. Of course, it was not regular teaching since he didn’t have time to teach. Every time I could see him, he said Rafi, play me something. Then I played, mostly Sonorité, mostly technique or expressions, not just pieces. I honestly can say that nobody taught me how to play Chaminade or Prokofiev’s Sonata. I did everything by myself. So, basically, I am a totally self-made player. Completely self-taught, except that I had this constant presence with Jimmy that I could play something for him and listen to him.

I'm sorry that I keep calling him Jimmy, but you can write that, because he gave me permission to call him Jimmy. In fact, everybody calls him Sir James. Once he told me a story that he used to address Marcel Moyse Maître. After a while he asked Galway to call him Marcel, and something similar happened to me when Sir James asked me to call him Jimmy. Still, the respect is still there!
The reason why I'm a big fan of James Galway is that when I listen to his playing, it is fantastic! He is truly an extraordinary player and person. I mean, he's like out of this world. It’s interesting that when I met him, it was at the very beginning of his solo career. He was not the famous James Galway yet that everybody knows and loves. He left Berlin Philharmonic in 1975 and I met him in 1978.
So, I started to follow him, from one concert to another, and then I had this big opportunity of driving him along the tournée. I was his driver for some time! That means that you stay for let’s say 25 days together, day and night, in the same hotel, different rooms, of course. Besides, I had to pay my own expenses in the top hotel but I didn’t mind. Luckily, I could afford it. Still, he paid for food and gasoline for the car.
So, I was driving along Germany, going 200 kilometers per hour, with Jimmy sitting in the front, and pushing my leg to go faster, because we always were on a tight schedule. Munich, Berlin, either with the Gutenberg Chamber Orchestra or some concerts with pianist Philip Moll. My driver career lasted two consecutive years. For two years I had the opportunity of listening to him, and performing in all sorts of environments: big hall, wonderful or very dry acoustics. This was unbelievable experience for me. I learned so much from him, not just playing the flute – what it means to be on the road, especially at that level. Because he was playing mostly Carnegie Hall level concerts in those days. And it was amazing to hear from him at some point when we were having dinner at the restaurant: you know, in the last 10 years, I teach only you.
Then, around 1988 he started to give official classes at his place in Switzerland, and I went there regularly for another 30 years. I have met some many great flute players there over the years. We all had to play by memory some piece and play in front of everybody.

At which point did you realize that you need to make your own career?

When I graduated my school, got diploma, I started to teach, like many did at that time. Additionally, I won an audition for solo flute substitute at the “La Scala”. At that time, they didn’t have any official openings for that position, they used only substitutes, like myself. I was playing at “La Scala” for four years, with great conductors like Abbado and Mutti but never in a status of permanent solo flutist of this orchestra.
And, when finally, the orchestra made that opening in 1997, I was already giving concerts around the world. So, Davide Formisano got that job. At that time, I had so much to do: the teaching position at the Civica Scuola di Musica "Claudio Abbado" in Milan, I had solo concerts, making recordings, I wasn’t interested in orchestra job anymore. It’s normal that life takes you in a different direction at some point. Besides, I had got married, my wife is a pianist, and we were touring together for some time – it’s not easy to suddenly change all of that.
Of course, I respect all my colleagues who play in orchestra: fantastic, bravissimi! I respect them very much. The only thing I don't like is some of them sometimes say: ah, you are not complete musician if you don’t play in orchestra. This is really wrong statement. Are you saying that if (violinist Jascha) Heifetz doesn’t play in orchestra that he is not a good musician? What is this then?
At the same time many wonderful musicians who play in orchestra, like Emmanuel Pahud or Paolo Taballione, are incredible soloists. So, it doesn’t matter if you play in orchestra or not, everything comes down whether you are a good musician or not. It is that simple.

When you started your solo career, did it go the way you expected?

I have this big experience, seeing a soloist doing his job like that, it was very useful, of course. Simply because I learned how difficult it really is, and how much you need to be in shape to be ready to go on stage again and again, night after night. Very important aspect is the management, though.
We were very lucky to have a wonderful manager in Japan. The same one who organized tours for Rampal. So, he liked my playing and he managed a lot of concerts in Japan, and following tours to America, South Africa, Brazil, Russia and so on. Interestingly, I’ve never been to China, but I’m going there very soon.

Together with your wife, you have made so many recordings and several composers have written music for you. Are there any collaborations that were especially memorable for you?

Yes, of course, I had some great collaborations with some composers. I did a recording together with the Moscow Chamber orchestra, some years ago, with new flute concertos dedicated to me by Alberto Colla, Carlo Galante, and Ernani Aguiar ("Quasi una Romanza", 2010, DELOS). And there was one composition for flute and violin by South African composer Hendrik Hofmeyr which we played and recorded together with a wonderful violinist Piet Koornhof. This was a memorable collaboration. Unfortunately, Alberto Colla died just one year ago, this makes me very sad. He was so talented, his music is out of this world.

Recently I came across a piccolo piece by Gary Shocker, “Piccolo Italiano” which he wrote especially for you. When I listened to it, I felt that I am listening to sound track of some movie by Fellini.

Absolutely, but actually there is no my recording of that piece. The story behind this is very simple. When Gary came to Milan, he visited me and Paola at home. There he saw my collection of flutes, including this one. But I have a very special piccolo flute that is made of gold. This is a really special instrument because there are only 12 in the whole world. I am quite sure that this piccolo was made for Rampal, I think they made two golden piccolo flutes for Rampal, and, perhaps, he chose just one. This piccolo came from Clementina Scimone (Dutch-born flutist, the widow of the late conductor Claudio Scimone who founded the renowned chamber orchestra I Solisti Veneti). That area. I have played several times with I Solisti Veneti, under Scimone, and even made some recordings with them.
In fact, I want to tell you about another experience being present at Jimmy’s recording sessions. This helped me to make my recordings later on. It is very tiring to make a recording, you have to be in a super shape, because you cannot just play. It stays there! And we used to talk a lot about this between sessions. I have to tell you this story now.
I was in Jimmy's house one day. And Galway, without telling me anything, just put on a CD recording of Mozart quartets. Then, after a minute or two I said: It is you playing. Yes, he said, but it took way too long for you to recognize me. Then he called RCA and said: we are doing the recording again. He did it right there, on a spot, in front of me, I swear.
Sometimes we were doing things like these: he could pick up any one of his flutes and I had to guess which one he is currently playing: 14 carats, 9 carats or 18 carats. It was kind of a joke but at that time I refined my ears over the years to listen to him playing and I could recognize quite well which flute he was playing.

You have been hosting the International Summer Flute Seminar for more than 30 years. From your perspective, how has flute playing changed over the time?

Well, this is an interesting question. This morning I did a presentation about French and Italian flute playing school, with all the projections, studies and everything. Well, that’s how it used to be. Nowadays, when you are exposed to internet and free travel, it is more becoming one big school. Now I have to quote Rampal who used to say: there is no French school or any other school, it’s either a good flute school or a bad school. Even though he was the best representative of the finest French school. But Italians are not so bad either, you know.
Let me tell you a short story about that. When Rampal came to Milan to conduct a concert, I asked him to listen to my playing after the rehearsal. After that, he said: Congratulations, chapeau, you play complete French school! That was a great compliment, of course, and I was fascinated by French school, but it just proved that Italian flute playing wasn’t so bad either.
Another example, the great American flutist Ransom Wilson studied privately with Rampal. Before that he went to Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, to take lessons from Severino Gazzelloni.
My point is that now it’s a mix of schools that includes French methods etc. To understand what is the French school you have to know all the great teachers, great players who established it: Altès, Taffanel, Gaubert, and Moyse. So, these are the greatest players and they wrote the complete methods for flute. And Italian school started with Briccialdi, the Paganini of the flute, who wrote methods and studies and everything, and De Lorenzo, who is known as the founder of the American school, he emigrated there. But you should never forget that before coming to the United States, he played principal flute at the Cape Town Symphony in South Africa, and then came back to Italy to get his diploma from the Naples Conservatory. Then he emigrated to US to become a solo flutist with the New York Philharmonic which was led by Gustav Mahler at that time. That’s how Italian flute school became American one. Julius Baker was a student of De Lorenzo. Now, when we look at all these methods and studies, I am still amazed how much flutists at that time were pushing the limits of the instrument.
The Italian school is really about pushing the limits of speed, like super virtuosity. It used to be a big competition with the French school but now everything is more international.

Imagine that you are in your early 20s, and just starting your musical journey, what would you do differently, perhaps?

Nothing, absolutely nothing. I wish I could be studying more, that’s all.

But if you wouldn’t have this possibility to follow Galway as you did, what would you do then?

This is a different question. You mean – what advice would I give to a flute student, right? I’m lucky because I am not in that situation, but keeping it short, my only advice is practice! The big difference now from the time when I started music, is that students don’t listen to music as much as they should. Now students have all the possibilities to do that: YouTube, recordings, videos, and masterclasses every week, and so on, but they miss the real part of being a musician. For example, the experience like driving 100km or taking a train to attend a concert and then come back. Real effort to listen the whole performance. Instead, they open YouTube, listen 30 seconds of one piece, played by this or that flutist and sometimes that’s it. Sometimes just to compare a tempo. They don’t listen to the whole piece! They don’t want to go to recitals that last more than an hour, they are not interested. So, what do they want to do? They want to get a job. The teaching position in a very high, well-paid place or a big orchestra.
When I was starting, I was a dreamer, not interested in making money or getting a place for a job. I was mainly interested in artistic dimension. I wanted to learn how to play the flute. That's why I started to follow Jimmy, because for me he was the most inspiring player. When I play, I want to be able to use tools of this magic, potential color of sound to bring my musical idea to life. To be able to play flute like that. That was my ideal.
I'm super fine. For nearly forty years I have played soccer every week with a wonderful group of friends, and I enjoy life with my wife. We are genuinely happy. I mean, we are super happy to be able to teach our little kids, from the very beginning up to the highest level. So, I don’t play the flute to get success all the time at any cost, I just love to play music and my flutes.

What inspires you?

The sound of the flute. I am happy when I have a good sound and I can sing with the flute. That inspires me and makes me happy.