One of the highlights of the concert was the performance by the wind ensemble 5um3 (University of the Arts Berlin, 1st prize). The five musicians presented the F minor Quintet by the Czech composer Anton Reicha, a contemporary of Beethoven, with such perfection that one could only marvel. Meret Louisa Vogel's captivatingly beautiful flute playing was just as enchanting as the virtuosic passages that horn player Una Weske seemingly effortlessly coaxed from her instrument.

“Meret Louisa Vogel, born in Hamburg in 2004, has already performed at the Bach Week. Now she confidently performs Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s Flute Concerto in G major with an elegant tone, technically flawless even in extremely difficult passages. The flautist immerses herself in the music and, with intense concentration, makes all the virtuosic, plaintive, and joyful elements seem almost effortless.”

"It's remarkable what perfect technique the 19-year-old Hamburg native possesses. Her glissando across several octaves is particularly special: of course, she has to use the keys of her instrument for this – but you can't hear these transitions at all. It was truly breathtaking. The applause at the end was correspondingly enthusiastic; Meret Louisa Vogel […] was celebrated frenetically."

“Hindson’s ‘House Music’ is not a tame piece for the home music room, but rather a flute concerto brimming with ideas, in which the composer fearlessly incorporates a wealth of pop music elements.

There are rhythms that even got the soloist tapping her feet, effective percussion sections, a touch of Latin American flair here, and infectiously rock-infused passages there.

Two years ago, Meret Louisa Vogel (born 2004) conducted the GSO in the German premiere of this concerto, which premiered in Australia in 2006, at a matinee performance in the Deutsches Theater. […]

Hindson also uses the flute far beyond its usual timbres, demanding, for example, gliding transitions, polyphonic playing, the audible use of breath, and at times, almost linguistic articulation.


Hindson also employs the flute far beyond its usual timbres, demanding, for example, gliding transitions, polyphonic playing, the audible use of breath, and at times, an almost linguistic articulation.” Meret Louisa Vogel, who began her music studies at the Berlin University of the Arts in October 2023, presented all of this with astonishing ease and confidence. At no point did she give the impression that the part was unduly strenuous for her.

The enthusiastic audience responded with shouts of "Bravo!" and seemingly endless applause.

“At the heart of the program was a German premiere, the flute concerto ‘House Music’ by Australian composer Matthew Hindson: Enthusiastic applause in the packed house for soloist Meret Louisa Vogel, the orchestra, and its inspiring conductor, Nicholas Milton. […]

Right from her first solo notes, it became clear that the Australian composer (born in 1968) wasn't employing the classic virtuoso figures in this piece, but rather demanding entirely different vocal expressions from the performer. These ranged from tongue clicks and other click sounds (used, for example, in the South African Xhosa language) to audible breath sounds and flute notes linked by glissando (which are not actually possible on this instrument): a vibrant palette of colors, which the soloist commanded with astonishing mastery. […]

The numerous shouts of 'Bravo!' at the end of this highly effective work were directed, firstly, at the virtuoso soloist, who also distinguished herself through the who remained unfazed by even the most complicated rules and whose face clearly reflected the joyful playfulness that the music radiates. The same was true for her remarkable encore, the solo piece "Zoom Tube" by Ian Clarke. Secondly, praise was given to the composition itself, which had transformed the typically somber expressions of classical music concertgoers into cheerful smiles – and thirdly, last but not least, to the brilliantly performing orchestra, in which the percussion section had to perform some truly acrobatic feats, and to its inspiring conductor, who had dedicated himself wholeheartedly and with complete success to the work of his Australian friend.