My name is Marta Gawlas, and I am a Polish traverso player living between Poland and France.
I specialise in historical flutes, from the Renaissance to the Romantic period, and work as a freelance performer across Europe. I play with my own ensembles, including Cohaere Ensemble and Inverto Ensemble, as well as with orchestras such as Capella Cracoviensis, Il Pomo d’Oro, Les Arts Florissants, and L’Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal.
I have recently released my first solo CD, Compositrices, dedicated to women composers of the Baroque period. The album features sonatas by Anna Bon , Wilhelmine von Bayreuth, and Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, performed on historical instruments. Since its release, Compositrices has been featured by France Musique, Polish Radio 2 and international early music media.

Marta's website and on Facebook

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

For some reason, I almost always begin by improvising a short prelude - usually in D major or G minor, though sometimes in other keys as well. The length and character of the prelude can be very different. Sometimes it is really only a few minutes; sometimes I simply try to move through the whole range of the instrument, reaching both the lowest and the highest notes. For me, this prelude is not necessarily a “piece”, but rather a way of checking the instrument and myself. It is a brief moment of orientation, to understand how I feel that day, how the flute responds, and what will need more attention in the next steps of practice. If the sound feels closed or stiff, I may spend more time on long notes and resonance. If the instrument feels flexible and open, I can move more quickly towards articulation, technique, or repertoire.

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

In my case, it is never one fixed piece. I like returning to orchestral excerpts, for example Bach, and I usually focus on short fragments - sometimes even just one phrase. But if I had to choose one recurring example, it would definitely be Rameau’s Viens, Hymen from Les Indes galantes. It is one of my favourite passages, and it helps me find an open sound in the high register. But in general, my choice depends on the period I am in and on the repertoire I am focused on at that moment.

Do you have a daily routine?​

As a freelancer, a daily routine is something almost unrealistic. We often wake up in different places and follow very different schedules. Sometimes the day starts with an early flight at 5 a.m.; sometimes it ends late after a concert. When I have a free day, I like to start with a quiet breakfast and coffee. Then I usually take care of professional computer work: emails, planning, graphic materials - recently I have also started doing some graphic design myself. Eventually, there comes the moment to pick up the flute. I usually begin with improvised preludes, followed by long notes. Then comes lunch, sometimes a short post-lunch nap, another coffee, and then I return to work. I also try to go to yoga or stretching classes when I can. I find this very important, especially when we play a lot, work at the computer, and travel - the body really needs to release all those tense and shortened areas. My best moment of the day is the evening, which is usually my favourite time to practise. After playing, I like to have a moment of relaxation, take a bath, and then go to sleep.

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

While I am improvising a prelude and “mapping” the instrument, I can usually understand what kind of goal I need to set. For example, if I feel stiff, or if it is more difficult to find a sound that resonates with me and with my body, then this becomes my main focus. On a “good sound day”, I can go more into articulation and technical work. Of course, if I have new repertoire to read, I mostly focus on that and on the music itself. But I also like having days devoted mainly to technique and articulation.

Do you do any systematic warm-up?

When I do warm up, I often start with fifths and octaves as long notes, for example D1-A1-D2-A1-D1, all on whole notes, and then continue chromatically: D-sharp, E, F, and so on. When I was still studying, I would always begin with this, then continue with scales and some vocalises from Philippe Bernold’s book. I also used to spend time practising articulation exercises from Trevor Wye’s method. I still find them very useful and would really recommend them.

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

I do not have one specific structure. I try to adapt my practice schedule to the amount of time I have. If I know that I can have a longer practice session, I may take up to one hour just to warm up, going through different stages: sound and long notes, articulation, tongue exercises, and then technique, such as scales or studies.
If I do not have much time, I sometimes skip the warm-up. I actually find this useful as well. As musicians, we often do not have the comfort of being able to warm up properly before playing. Sometimes we arrive directly at a rehearsal and have to be ready to play immediately. I think this is also a kind of skill that needs to be practiced, and it’s about training the body to be ready to play in different circumstances, not only in ideal ones, and to take the flute and find focus, sound, and physical freedom without a long preparation.

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

I have not really played the modern flute for almost ten years now, so it is difficult for me to compare the two practices in detail. What I remember from my modern flute years is that I used to play many more scales, studies, and technical exercises. In my baroque flute practice, I probably do less of this now, although fifths and octaves as long notes have definitely stayed with me.

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

For me, the most important element is sound: working on tone quality, resonance, and the physical feeling of the instrument. I think daily practice is partly about finding a balance between yourself and the flute - listening to how the instrument reacts, how your body reacts, and how the two can work together. Ideally, the flute should not feel like something separate from the body, but like an extension of it: one breathing, resonating instrument.
When everything works well, I can feel the wood of the flute gently vibrating under my fingers. For me, this is a sign that the sound is resonating freely and that the flute and my body are working together. On a “bad flute day”, the opposite happens: I feel that I have to do too much with the embouchure, control every note, and manage the sound constantly. This usually makes me tense. In those moments, I try to visualise the physical feeling of a “good flute day” - the resonance, the vibration, the openness - and usually it really works!

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

In an ideal situation, I would say around one hour for a proper warm-up.

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

For me, the most useful approach is very simple: practising slowly, changing rhythms, trying different articulations, and repeating short fragments in loops. But the most important thing is to avoid tension. A difficult passage should gradually become more comfortable, not only faster. I try to find a way of playing it that feels natural in the fingers, the tongue, the air, and the body. Speed should come as a result of comfort and clarity, not from forcing.

Are there any tools that are particularly useful for practicing?

Of course, the metronome is always helpful, although I try to use it with as few beats as possible - for example, one click per bar rather than on every beat. This helps me keep a sense of pulse without becoming too dependent on the metronome.
I also find the tuner very useful for practising intonation. I like setting it to produce a low drone note, and then playing melodies or scales while constantly referring to this fundamental pitch. It is a very good way to train the ear and to understand the relationship between intervals. Another fantastic tool, which I use quite often myself, is recording. It gives us a more realistic impression of how something sounds from the outside, and it shows what already works well and what still needs more attention.
A mirror can also be very important, especially for checking posture and making sure that the body stays balanced and free while playing. And to control if I don’t move too much (sometimes it happens! 😊).

Any other general advice, suggestion, tip?

Sometimes I find it very helpful to write things down, to make a sort of practice agenda - to plan my practice, define specific goals, and note my progress. It helps me organise my thoughts, build a clearer structure for the practice session, and monitor development over time.

How do you advise your students as far as structuring their daily practice?

At the moment, I do not teach regularly, so I can answer this question mostly from the perspective of my own practice. In a way, the only student I work with every day is myself. That is why I record myself quite often and try to listen as a teacher would: with some distance, noticing what is clear, what is tense, what needs more direction, and what has already improved. If I had to give one piece of advice about structuring daily practice, it would be to create a plan based on real needs rather than on an abstract routine. I would suggest starting by observing what the body, the sound, and the instrument need that day, then defining a few concrete goals, and finally leaving some space for music itself - not only for technical work. I think a practice structure should give focus, but not become rigid.

Do you suggest or teach a warm-up routine?

There is one important thing which I would suggest: stretching or some form of body warm-up before playing. The position of the flute is quite asymmetrical, so I think it is very important to give the body some counter-movement and to release the areas that tend to become tense. We spend a lot of time turned slightly to one side, with the arms lifted and the upper body in a very specific position. For this reason, I think we should consciously work in the opposite direction as well, to keep the body balanced. For me, this is an important part of preparation, not something separate from practice.

Are there any specific pieces particularly beneficial to be played regularly in daily practice?​

The first thing that comes to my mind is Hotteterre’s Preludes. I think they are a wonderful thing to practise regularly, even every day. They are a huge source of inspiration, and because there are so many of them, in different keys, playing them often can really open the mind and develop many aspects of playing. Another thing I would wholeheartedly recommend is working on flute passages from Bach Cantatas.
For me, all the examples I mentioned, are useful because they work on many levels at once. Rameau helps me especially with opening the sound, keeping the quality of tone through different registers, and taking care of the transitions between intervals. It is not only about playing the notes, but about finding a sense of openness, resonance, and vocal line.
Bach orchestral excerpts, especially from the cantatas, are also extremely useful. First of all, it is good to know them, because they may always be useful in future orchestral or ensemble situations. Technically, they can teach many different things depending on the excerpt: intonation, especially in chromatic passages and complex harmonies; sound and phrasing in more cantabile lines; or articulation and finger technique in faster passages. Many of Bach’s flute arias are also richly ornamented, which can be very inspiring. They show many possibilities of ornamentation and can teach us how decoration can remain connected to harmony, rhetoric, and musical direction.
Beyond the technical aspect, both Rameau and Bach are musically very rich. Every time I return to these pieces, I discover something new or interesting in them, and this is very important for developing musical imagination.

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