I am a flute player from St. Petersburg, Russia, currently living in Basel. I am fortunate to perform music from the 16th to the 21st century, and to collaborate regularly with ensembles such as the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées, Utopia Orchestra, Les Talens Lyriques, Bremer Barockorchester, Anima Eterna Brugge, Bach-Akademie Stuttgart, and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. I perform as a soloist, ensemble musician, and orchestral player at festivals including Salzburg Festival, Festival de Saintes, Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Festival Berlioz (La Côte-Saint-André), Diaghilev Festival, and Beethovenfest Bonn.

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The first thing you do when you pick up your traverso to start the practice day, and why?

Often, I simply play a few notes in D major to understand how it works at the moment, to feel the acoustics and how the instrument resonates, and to figure out what I should pay more attention to today.

Any recurring piece to play every day, and why?​

I usually play some phrases from J.S. Bach E major Flute Sonata: I find it useful to work on the balance of fork fingering notes and “strong” notes, especially in the context of such a wonderful piece of music

Do you have a daily routine?​

When I studied modern flute, I used to warm up using a system I created for myself. It consisted mainly of exercises focusing on intonation and sound quality.
One exercise involved “bending” tones — making a note lower and higher using only lip flexibility, while trying not to lose tone quality. Another consisted of scales and wide intervals played with different dynamics, always focusing on sound quality and good intonation.
This routine took about one hour every day, and I would not allow myself to play repertoire before completing it. At some point, however, I felt that this routine had become too important psychologically. I realized that I already had all the necessary reflexes to play the instrument without such long preparation, and I decided to stop doing it.
Instead of warming up in a traditional sense, I began playing difficult passages immediately, to see how I could manage “on the way.” Since making this change, I no longer warm up conventionally. I start by playing what I want or need to play, and I try to solve problems as they arise during playing.
I am convinced that the main component of a successful performance is mental readiness — full control of the situation, and the ability to react quickly to any changes or surprises that may occur on stage.
When I speak about mental readiness, I mean the ability to remain concentrated and fully focused on what is happening during a performance — both in expected moments and, especially, in unexpected ones. I find the latter particularly important, as they are often what make a performance truly unique.
During a stage performance, focus can easily be lost due to anxiety or various external distractions. To regain control in such situations, I use a simple psychological strategy that I also apply in practice: creating what I call “meeting points.”
This means identifying a key moment within a phrase — it might be a turn in the melodic line, the beginning of a fast passage, or simply a spot that feels especially meaningful or characteristic. I then practice this moment very thoroughly, until it feels completely stable and reliable. If something goes wrong earlier in the phrase during performance, arriving at this “meeting point” helps me regain control and re-establish focus.

What kind of goals do you set for your practice?​

To reach a point when there are no limits for expression.

Do you have a specific structure for warm-up and practice sessions?​

When I was still following a structured warm-up, I worked extensively on intonation — first with a tuner, and then by checking intervals according to the harmonic function of each note.
I would start by playing major chords from g¹ upwards, gradually reaching the highest notes. I also worked on intervals such as fifths and octaves, starting from the lower register and moving upwards.
I practiced scales regularly, which I consider a standard and necessary routine for any flute player. I believe that playing scales, arpeggios, and all their possible combinations on a daily basis is particularly important for students.

Any distinctive characteristics of baroque flute daily practice vs. modern flute or other instruments?​

iIn my experience, one of the most distinctive differences lies in the use of air: how fast, constant, or flexible the airstream needs to be in order to produce a full, expressive, and flexible sound. Much of this concerns what happens between the notes.
Even within one type of flute, this can vary greatly. When I think about Renaissance versus modern flutes, I experience significant differences in how I blow into each instrument. These differences affect sound, intonation, articulation, dynamic range, and expressive flexibility.
Each instrument responds in a very specific way, and flute players who perform on different types of flutes must be able to adapt how they produce sound. In my opnion, the airstream — its intensity, speed, and flexibility — is the most important point of focus.

What are the key elements and unmissable points of daily practice?​

I believe, the key element is achieving comfort in what you do — technically, musically, and mentally — and how quickly you can reach that state.
For example, at the beginning of a practice session, a flutist may feel uncomfortable with how the instrument responds. You start playing exercises, and after some time — perhaps an hour — a sense of comfort appears. My personal goal is to reach that same level of comfort faster each day, so that I am prepared for situations where there is no time for a long preparation.
This means carefully observing what is most useful for you personally — it is a very individual process. The interaction between body and mind is complex and sometimes unpredictable, but it is also one of the most fascinating aspects of playing the flute, as with any instrument. It is a kind of dance between the mental and physical dimensions of music-making, and learning to control it is essential.

How long and distributed should warm-up and practice be?

This depends on the musician’s level and goals. During one’s studies, it can be useful to have a broad and extended warm-up and practice routine, covering as many musical challenges as possible.
Later on, depending on personal characteristics and experience, one can decide which exercises remain necessary and which are no longer essential.

Any  specific tip to address difficult technical passages during daily practice?

It is important to maintain good control over what and how I play in general. When dealing with difficult passages, confidence is essential.
First, I identify precisely where the difficulty lies — very often it is between two or three notes. Then I work on the passage both slower and faster than the final tempo. Finally, I reintegrate it into the full phrase.

Are there any tools that are particularly useful for practicing?

I would recommend practicing with a tuner, but always with an understanding of the harmonic function of each note. It is useful to learn how to tune common intervals properly. With this understanding, only small adjustments are needed to play in tune with different instruments — which I consider a fundamental skill in music-making.
Many musicians are aware of the differences between major and minor thirds, or the tuning tendencies of fifths and sevenths. Balance within a chord is also crucial: sometimes a chord may be well tuned but still sound out of tune because, for example, the third is too loud.
I also like to record rehearsals and listen to my playing afterwards. When we play, we are performers and listeners at the same time, and we cannot always notice every detail. Recording offers a valuable external perspective.
When preparing a piece for a concert, I like to practice different — sometimes even contradictory — musical ideas. This broadens my perception of the music and helps me make my interpretation convincing. This flexibility is especially useful in orchestral contexts, where musicians often need to adjust and play in ways they might not personally prefer.

Any other general advice, suggestion, tip?

In general, I would advise musicians to find their own voice on the instrument — to make it as beautiful, expressive, and sincere as possible, and to remain faithful to it.

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