Asha Henfry is a South West based flautist on the forefront of cross-genre, improvised music in Australia. As an honours graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Per- forming Arts (WAAPA), she masterfully merges her extensive knowledge of classical, jazz and world music stylings and challenges the traditional boundaries of the flute. Specialising in Brazilian Choro (a niche world music genre that she holds close to her heart), Asha glides effortlessly through its technically demanding terrain with her distinctly expressive and joyful, effervescent sound.
During the course of her performing career, Asha has graced several highly acclaimed local and international stages and media platforms, includingBennetts Lane Jazz Club, The Paris Cat Jazz Club,and Brazil’s popular televised talkshow,Programa do Jô. She continues to present her own projects and frequently collaborates as a member of popular en- sembles,Tamandua,Doug De Vries’Sexteto Zona Sul,andPanorama Brasil.Recent special highlights include performingPanorama Brasil’ssold-out show (Baden Powell’s Afro- Sambas) at the Melbourne Recital Centre, and their subsequent collaboration with iconic Australian singer and trumpeter, Vince Jones at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2017.
Asha’s musical travels include three tours to Brazil with The Jarrah Thompson Band(marking the beginning of her love affair with the Choro genre), visiting India, several elite summer workshops across Europe and a special return trip to the birthplace of Choro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to study under the tutelage of Brazilian folk music giants, Antonio Rocha, Paulo Aragao, Dirceu Leite and Mauricio Carillho.
Asha divides her time between performing and educating, tutoring both secondary and private students.
With 13 years flute teaching experience at home and at schools, Asha enjoys inspiring students to realise their potential in music. Encouraging students to think creatively, to experiment with new ideas/genres and to perform as much as possible are some of her principal teaching practices. As well as a strong foundation in Classical flute technique, Asha places importance on improvisation and extended technique whether it’s used as an experimentation tool for beginner students or as part of a more complex recital program. With a strong performance and teaching history, Asha has an advanced knowledge and understanding of various teaching methods and AMEB syllabuses.
More info at ashahenfryflute.com