When you hear someone playing flute you don't hear the flute, you hear the person who plays it.

Peter Swinkels is a well-regarded flutist, teacher, lecturer, flute specialist, and entrepreneur, especially known as the founder of the ADAMS Flute Festival and the Dutch International Flute Competition, which takes place every April at the Adams Flute Centre in Ittervoort, Netherlands, for nearly two decades.
Peter studied flute at the Conservatory in Maastricht. He graduated with degrees in Music Education, Choir Conducting, and Flute Performance. Throughout his Conservatory years, Peter Swinkels actively taught flute and conducted choirs. As a flute teacher, he focused on developing the unique personal sound that fits each of his students. As a result of this approach, he became interested in the factors of flute construction that would affect this sound: the material of the flute, the headjoint, etc.
In the quest for answers, Swinkels established a relationship with Adams Music Centre. The Centre ultimately asked him to start a Flute Centre division: a place where flutists can come not only to buy flutes or headjoints but also to get expert advice. Within less than a decade, Peter not only developed the Adams Flute Centre into the leading European flute centre but also established a truly remarkable Flute festival and competition where many young artists have the possibility to get expert advice from remarkable flutists, teachers, gaining confidence and inspiration for their future career.

We met with Peter during the 18th Adams International Flute Festival 2025 and wanted to know more about his upbringing and how he has managed to establish and maintain the level of the Adams Flute Festival throughout the years.

What is your story? What was the first impulse to choose a flute as your instrument?

It's a funny story.
My father was a barber, and some four, five houses down the street was another barber's shop. That other barber was a flute player who played in a band of our village where we lived at that time.
So, on a school day, during the lunch break, from noon to 1 p.m. I went home to have my lunch. Sometimes I had some shopping to do as well, to get bread or cheese or whatever, and whenever I walked by that barber shop, I heard him playing his flute simply because it was his lunch break as well.
One of the first pieces that I heard him playing was "La Gazza Ladra" (by Rossini), and I was enchanted by the sound of the flute. So, when I turned eight, I had to choose an instrument to play, since it was a tradition in our village. That's how I started to play a recorder.

After one year the teacher who was also conducting the orchestra, our band, asked: “Which instrument do you want to play?”, and I said: "I want to play flute". Then he said, "We don't need flutes". Then he tried to persuade me to choose another instrument, like a clarinet, but I refused, saying: "I don't like clarinet", since I wanted to play flute. “I'd rather not play at all than choose another instrument.”

Some three or four months later the conductor came to my house with a flute. Very old flute, very simple system with only three keys. That’s how I got my first flute.
After one year I got another flute, this time with five keys, and I had to start to learn everything all over again: simply because it was a different way of playing. All these were wooden flutes, by the way...

After two or three years I got my third flute, which was also a wooden flute, but with the Boehm system, and I had to start everything all over again.

At that time, I was practicing from a red book by Emil Prill. It was a terrible book, with no melodies in it, only exercises, and I hated it. Now I had to study everything again and from the same book. This was the time when I told my father that I wanted to quit playing.
"This is a final version of flute," he said, "This is a system that all modern flutes have". But I didn't want to listen to it, I just wanted to quit. The thing was that the flute lessons that I had received throughout three years were free, including the flute and the book. I've got them from the conductor of our band. Sometimes I even got some chocolate from him as a reward.
So, my father said: "If you are so sure about it, go to your teacher – bring back the flute and the book, and say "thank you very much for all these three years of free lessons - I'm going to quit now".
I didn't dare to do that.
I felt so sorry for the teacher because he was so happy with me and thought that I was rather good at it.
So, I didn't want to disappoint him that much, and I started all over again.

Gradually, I got better and entered the conservatory in Maastricht. Then I started teaching, and as a teacher, I went to Adams Music Centre, which was in Thorn at that time. I always brought my students over there, helping them to find flutes.

There were some colleagues of mine who were wondering, "Why do you take your students to the ADAMS? You can choose flutes for them". It was against my belief that each student has a personality and each has to choose a flute that suits that personality. They need a flute, not me.

When two people play the same flute, it sounds different. How come? It's the same flute. Simply because it's a different personality. When you hear someone playing the flute, you don't hear the flute, you hear the person who plays it. And that's a very important thing.

So, I got very interested in all this, and ADAMS gave me an opportunity to try all kinds of flutes. Even more, they asked me to set up a flute department because at that time they didn't have a broad range of flutes – mostly student flutes and some Muramatsu instruments, that's all they had.
Then I said “yes” and started building the Flute Center, combining it with teaching. So, in the morning I worked for ADAMS, I was teaching in the afternoon, and conducting in the evening.

Finally, it was too much and I had to make a choice – either teaching or working here. At that time, I had been teaching for more than 25 years, and I said: "I've done enough teaching, I'll commit my life to working for the ADAMS". It was in 2003 or 2004, at that time, there was no one at ADAMS who would know anything about flutes. My brother already worked for ADAMS. He was a percussionist, and he was also covering the flute department. So, nothing serious.

When I started to work here full time, I envisioned the ultimate goal: if someone in Europe wants to buy a flute, the first thing that should come to their mind is ADAMS.
Then, of course, I had to come up with a plan – how do I do that?
One of the things I can do is to build a Flute Festival, and that's what I did. I chose two days, and I invited some famous players.

I started with Emily Beynon – I just called her up, saying something like “we are currently not big in the flute world, but we plan to be big in the flute world”. She liked the idea, and so did Paul Edmund-Davies. That's how it all started.
So, if you want to succeed, you need to think big. That’s why I chose to start with already famous players, and they were all very enthusiastic about it. Maybe I was very clear about it: why I want to do it, how I want to do it. Besides, I did lectures, concerts, masterclasses, and workshops.

Additionally, I started traveling a lot, visiting conservatories, festivals, and flute makers. I went to Boston to visit Powell, always driven by the idea that I need to find a solution for a flute player who is looking for a flute.
I always try to find out what he or she is looking for.
Because, if someone comes to the shop and says: "I have 10,000 euros and I want to buy a Muramatsu flute", it could be the easiest sale for me that would take only 10 minutes, but I don't like that.
My first question in that case would be: "Why Muramatsu flute?".

This happens a lot, the most common reply is: "My teacher plays Muramatsu", or "I like the way he plays", or "I went to a concert the other night and I heard someone play the flute and I went to him. What flute are you playing? I play a Muramatsu. And I want to sound like that.”

Sometimes they say: “My professor said that I should go to ADAMS and buy a Muramatsu flute", which is not very respectful of the teacher, but some teachers do that. So, my usual response is: "If you want to just buy it, then you should go to another shop and they will sell you a Muramatsu flute. I don't do that. Because I want to sell you a flute that fits you". Then we do the whole process, and sometimes, yes, they go home with a Muramatsu, but with a certainty that Muramatsu is the best flute for that person.
However, sometimes they go home with a completely different flute, and they are always happy. I am not saying this because I am such a good salesman; everyone can do that.
For example, when I go to a shoe shop and I can't find the shoes that I like, all of a sudden, the lady appears, says: "One second", then walks into a small room, climbs a ladder, picks up a box, she puts it in front of me and says "try these". I try them on and they are perfect! So, what she does – she combines my personality with the shoes. The same happens if you want to buy a perfume, glasses, or clothes, so it's not really rocket science.

That's what we do every day. Except when we buy a flute, we listen to other people.
So, that's the story behind this festival and this Flute Centre. It's based upon the person behind the musician - that's what it is.

And that's maybe part of the success. As you may have already noticed when you walk around, there is a friendly atmosphere. Star flutists like Ulla Miilmann or Emily Beynon have their coffee or lunch at the cafeteria along with all of the students and visitors. They are like you and me, and that's what we need.

Sometimes flute makers sponsor someone, like Mario Caroli is sponsored by Miyazawa, Emily Beynon and Ulla Miilmann are sponsored by Haynes, and so on. So, sometimes flute brands’ representatives call me and say: "Listen Peter, for the next festival I would very much like you to invite THIS or THAT, and we will cover all costs, and sometimes I say "no", because I don't want that person, it's not a good fit for this festival, for its team.

What else is very difficult sometimes - some brands or flute makers want to sponsor a flute player who is a very good flute player, but not a good teacher. Often very good players are not the best teachers, and it's not a very good fit for our festival either.
Most of our teachers are also well-known excellent players. But it's not always the case. For example, Niall O'Riordan is not famous for his flute playing, although he is a very good flute player, but he is famous for the way how he treats the body of a flute player. You know, he does Feldenkrais (Feldenkrais Method), so it's about the body.

"What do I do with my body whilst I play the flute?", "When I stand or when I sit?", "What is important?", "What do I do with my feet?". All these questions are important. My teacher at the conservatory in Maastricht didn't know anything about it. He didn't know about my body, where I put my feet: he didn't care. Sometimes these professors still advise their students to buy inline flutes. It's not good. We see so many problems with people who play the inline flutes. Does that mean that when you play the inline flute you will get a problem? No. But there is a greater chance that you'll get a problem, because you have too much tension in your left hand while playing. Too much tension in your hand is too much tension in your arm. There's too much tension in your shoulder. Some people never have a problem with that: Sir James Galway, Emmanuel Pahud, and Rampal - they all played inline, and never had a problem. But many people do have a problem, and they come here with their problem: they need another flute, or they need another headjoint, or they need some other help. But most of all, they don't understand why they have a problem. Then I ask them "Do you play inline?", "Can you take your flute out?" and so on.

What is your vision of the Adams Flute Festival for the next 3-5 years?

First of all, I don't have to know that because I have just retired. So, my successor is over there (points towards Roel Verheggen). He has to carry on from now on, but I will keep helping him, and I will keep organizing this festival. And I think the message is: "We want to go on with what we do". Giving young flute players the opportunity to play in a good, well-organized competition. We don't organize the competition ourselves anymore, but we cover the costs.
So, technically, it's our competition, but we don't organize it. Why? First of all, it's a lot of work. On the other hand, we don't want to be in a position when someone wins the competition, someone could say "He won because he bought his flute from ADAMS".

Is there any remarkable flutist out there whom you like, but who hasn't been to ADAMS yet?

Yes, Jacques Zoon. He is a Dutch flute player, and he is from another world. I agreed to do this year's festival during the dates, which are not the optimal dates due to national holidays in the Netherlands, to be able to invite Jacques Zoon. Unfortunately, it didn't work out. So, he has never been to our festival yet. I believe that he is one of the best flute players I know.

What inspires you?

People inspire me.
Besides, I'm interested in the relationship between the person and the flute, and I do lectures about that.