Management
Carmen Maret foliasduo@gmail.com
Folias Duo are “facile players who draw on tango rhythms and melodies sometimes, at other times they write with a scenic sensitivity” (Fanfare Magazine). They are “daring in self-written music” (American Record Guide).
Flutist Carmen Maret and guitarist Andrew Bergeron of the Folias Duo are a married couple whose unique interpersonal performer-composer collaboration of twenty years breathes new life into classical music. Folias Duo melds characteristics of European classical music with jazz, world music, and improvisation into the rhythms, contours, and textures of their meticulously crafted and scenic music. As composers and performers, they continue to test the technical and sonic possibilities of the intimate flute and guitar combination. “These two artists are top talents, almost singular within contemporary flute and guitar ensembles” (Flutist Quarterly).
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Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Folias Duo is a self-managed performing group that presents to classical music audiences throughout the United States, South America, and Europe. Specializing in concerts for audiences who enjoy creative, artistic, and out-of-the-ordinary experiences, the duo has appeared at notable venues such as the Detroit Institute of Arts, Chicago Botanic Gardens, Wellspring Theater-Epic Center, St. Cecilia Music Center, Fairbanks Arts Festival, Albuquerque Museum, National Flute Association Convention, Bayfield Summer Concerts, Lick Observatory, and countless other listening rooms, library theaters, and guitar society meeting spaces.
Folias Duo’s self-booked 2022 summer tour included twenty concert performances throughout the western United States and recent Michigan performance highlights include performances for the Saugatuck Chamber Music Festival, the White Lake Chamber Music Festival, Scarab Club Chamber Music Series in Detroit, and the Grand Rapids Art Museum’s Classical Series. During the 2020-2021 season, Folias Duo broadcasted over twenty live-stream concerts from their home featuring original music, all archived on their YouTube channel.
Folias Duo has produced and released seven albums featuring original compositions and arrangements, including five albums on the Blue Griffin Recording label from 2004-2014. More recently, they released Dreaming to Live (2017) and Delicate Omens (2019) on their Folias Music label. Their forthcoming album Heartdance will be released summer of 2023 on the Folias Music label.
Maintaining a close artistic relationship with the great outdoors, Folias Duo continues to write music inspired by national parks and national forests. They served as Artists-in-Residence on Isle Royale National Park, gave concerts in the North Cascades National Park, and composed music about wild places such as Big Bend National Park for their Marufo Vega and Viewpoints albums. Since 2016, Folias Duo has sponsored their own “DIY composing residencies” in rustic national forest cabins in Colorado, Iowa, Ontario, Oregon, and Michigan.
Carmen Maret and Andrew Bergeron earned Master of Music degrees from Michigan State University and Bachelor of Music degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Grand Valley State University. Now, with over twenty years of experience as educators and entrepreneurs, Carmen and Andrew continue to nurture the growth of countless young musicians. They teach private lessons for flute, guitar, and composition through Folias Music School, and they are adjunct professors in music theory, music history, and music business at Aquinas College and Grand Rapids Community College.
“Theirs is a music that transcends genre and that ultimately brands itself as Folias Duo music, full stop.”
–Textura 2023 // Read More
“Five stars: A life-enhancing experience that stays with the listener long after the final note has sounded.”
–Fanfare Magazine 2023 // Read More
“Heartdance represents a culmination of their creative synergy so far. The compositions, performances and recordings are excellent.”
–The Flutist Quarterly 2023 // Read More
Heartdance, “It’s a beautiful blend of intellect, cultural and sonic exploration, a deep love and commitment to one another through life and song, and a shared joy in exploring and to the repertoire of music for classical guitar and flute.”
–Local Spins 2023 // Read More
Documents
Folias Duo – Heartdance – Press Release
This was a memorable conversation we had with Bonnie Bierma on Blue Lake Public Radio about the new album Heartdance. The interview was recorded live in the studio at WBLU in Twin Lake, MI. We explored so many soulful topics about the creative process, collaboration, and the quest for inspiration. Check out the full episode on bluelake.org/ondemand.