Wandering Winds - Younis, d'Harcourt, Harty and Gelalian Works for Flute

"This is a broad and inspired collection of music that spans the globe and the centuries. Wissam Boustany is the principal performer and he is joined by the pianist Nigel Clayton and harpist, Gabriella Dall’Olio. Boustany commissioned the first work, Rising from the Ashes, from the Jordanian composer, Tarek Younis. It is influenced by Arabic rhythms and inspired by the myth of the PHOENIX, a legendary bird with supernatural powers. The theme of resurrection is powerfully illustrated by the music and underscores the composers deep commitment to “use my music to bring people together.” Other selections on the album range from the historic Ave Maria to the more contemporary Quatre Jeux written for the artist in 1979. There are representative pieces from Ireland, Japan, France and Peru as well. To borrow from Boustany’s invitation in the liner notes, “Sit back and take a journey riding on the winds of humanity and delight in the diversity of life on our planet.” WRUV Reviews

"... this disc also showcases the incredible talent of Wissam Boustany, flautist extraordinaire... ...The purity of the sound of the flute seems a perfect vehicle for a disc that will help raise money for the charity Library on Wheels that delivers books and organises other educational projects to support Palestinian children in isolated villages. This is part of his wider long term initiative Towards Humanity that supports communities suffering from war. These lofty aims would be reason enough to buy the disc so it’s all the more gratifying that the music is sublime as is the playing... ...extremely satisfying... ...so gorgeous you want to hear it over and over again... ...wonderfully evocative and mellifluously beautiful... ...sumptuously beautiful... ...so perfectly suited to Boustany’s wonderfully fluid and pure tone...a brilliant and highly enjoyable disc.... ...Boustany, it says in the notes, teaches at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. The students there are fortunate indeed to enjoy teaching from such a true artist. The two accompanists on the disc are wonderfully supportive and highly accomplished musicians. Together they have produced a disc that will bring pleasure every time it is played.

Steve Arloff musicweb-international.com

Lebanon-born flautist Wissam Boustany, acclaimed not only as a performer and teacher but also as a peace activist, is leading the new wave of today’s enlightened artists. The recordings Wandering Winds and Vivaldi’s Children, originally released in 1997 and 1998 respectively, have recently been reissued by Nimbus Alliance and will continue to raise funds for international humanitarian projects through music.

Vivaldi’s Children comprises Vivaldi’s Concertos Nos 1-6, repertoire that shows off Boustany’s crystalline technique – its decorative passages come to life under the flautist’s fancy fingerwork and phenomenal double tonguing. From the opening bars of Concerto No 1 ‘La Tempesta’, Boustany mesmerises and energises with his distinctive tone and extraordinary phrasing.

Boustany studied at both of Manchester’s music schools, Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music, where he is currently professor of flute. It was here that I first saw him perform, and was knocked sideways by the strength of his sound and his unwavering musicality. That sound is fully evident in Wandering Winds, a recording that depicts a ‘journey riding on the winds of humanity and delight in the diversity of life on our planet’ and includes music from Peru, Ireland and the Middle East. Most moving, however, is Bach-Gounod’s Ave Maria, a work that continues to transcend boundaries and beliefs, and sums up Boustany’s vision perfectly. - Muso Mag

… Boustany studied at both of Manchester’s music schools, Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music, where he is currently professor of flute. It was here that I first saw him perform, and was knocked sideways by the strength of his sound and his unwavering musicality. That sound is fully evident in Wandering Winds… - Soundbites