Rarely heard flutist to give solo performance

By Kristen Peterson

Friday, April 4, 2008 | 2 a.m.

There are several reasons to see Sunday’s performance by flutist Karen Haid.

For one, Haid, a noted musician with doctoral degrees in piano and flute, has lived in Las Vegas for five years but rarely performs.

That she is playing unaccompanied is even more intriguing. Not often do you get the chance to attend a solo flute performance of music by Bach, Telemann and Paganini. For all its ability to deliver intense, dramatic and meditative sounds, the flute is often overshadowed by such orchestral stars as the violin and the cello.

Sunday’s performance is Haid’s effort to showcase the instrument with Telemann’s Fantasie in F sharp minor, Bach’s Partita in A minor, Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 and contemporary work by Stephen Gryc. Toss in work by Sidney Lanier and Jacques Ibert and you have a diverse program.

The free recital at the Clark County Library is presented by the Las Vegas Chamber Music Society and is partly funded by a $5,000 Nevada Arts Council grant that Haid received this year.

Described by critics as a “gorgeously lyrical” performer who plays with “fire and style,” Haid holds degrees from Florida State University, the University of Miami and Boston University and has played in orchestras and ensembles from Tallahassee, Fla., to Fairbanks, Alaska.

“To have her perform in this format will highlight her virtuoso capabilities,” says Bob Stewart, president of the Las Vegas Chamber Music Society. “She is truly a rare hidden gem in this desert.”

Haid moved to Las Vegas five years ago and still plays, but not often in public. She jokes about the challenges — physical and otherwise — of performing a solo flute recital.

“Ninety-nine percent of flutists have never performed unaccompanied,” she says.

“The music has to be interesting enough to hold someone’s attention, which means it has to be difficult.”

Details: Karen Haid; 2 p.m. Sunday; Clark County Library theater, 1401 E. Flamingo Road; admission is free

And now, back to the strings

Cellist Gal Nyska, a member of the Young Israel Philharmonic, the Aspen Music Festival, the Shepherd School Symphony and the Juilliard Symphony, will perform Camille Saint-Saens’ Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor with the Las Vegas Philharmonic on Saturday. The concert is part of the Philharmonic’s Masterworks Series and includes Franz Liszt’s symphonic poem “Les Preludes” and Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor.

Details: Masterworks IV; 8 p.m. Saturday; Artemus Ham Hall, UNLV; $29-$73; 895-2787