The Flute Concerto was composed for flutist Alexa Still (Principal flute, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra) in 1993 while Ritchie was Composer - in - Residence with The Dunedin Sinfonia. Unlike the Symphony "Boum", written in the same year, this concerto is a generally happy and open-sounding work, and reflects aspects of Alexa Still's personality as well as her playing.

The first movement is energetic in style, with a bubbling first theme contrasted by a darker and slower second theme, exploring the lower register of the flute.

The slow second movement is lyrical and improvisational in style, with two cadenzas at the start of the movement. The first of these was scored for bass clarinet, but becomes a flute solo in the version for piano and flute.

The third movement is like a sequence of dances with different characters, bound together by a buffeting crotchet rhythm. This theme was inspired by the composer attending a performance by The Muttonbirds, a well-known NZ rock group.

The Flute Concerto was recorded (in the orchestral version) by Alexa Still and the NZSO in 1996, on the Koch CD 3-7345-2-H1, entitled Kiwi Flute (now sadly not available). Another recording, again by Alexa Still, is in process at present.

The Flute Concerto is enjoying increasing popularity internationally. In 2006 the flute magazine Flute Focus included some articles on how to play this concerto (July, October issues).

Play sample First movement (191K)	Play sample Third movement (297K)

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