Recorder31 Day 17 | Side-By-Side Interview: Pierre Hamon & Juho Myllylä

Today we have the third of this year’s Side-By-Side Interviews, recorded exclusively for Recorder31. In this interview two recorder players, both known for pushing the boundaries of genre and context of their instruments, come together to discuss their work and the inspiration behind it.

In this week’s interview, Finnish-born, Amsterdam-based recorder player Juho Myllylä (The Royal Wind Music, Ensemble Gamut!) joins French recorder and aerophone player Pierre Hamon, known for his cross-cultural musical work, film composition and tutoring at the Conservatoire de Lyon.

Together they discuss their careers to date, the multitude of musical influences they draw upon, and some exciting upcoming projects.

Listen to the full interview here:

About the artists:

As early as the 1980s, Pierre Hamon was already involved as a recorder virtuoso in the development of early music performance in France, particularly in medieval music (as a member of Gilles Binchois’s ensemble, co-conductor of Alla Francesca, and initiator of projects and recordings dedicated to the works of Guillaume de Machaut). He has worked closely and regularly with Jordi Savall since 1995. Deepening his love of early music, he became interested in the traditional music of Europe and other cultures. In 1998, he became a student of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, a great master of Hindustani classical music and bansuri flute. In 1994, he was invited to set up and teach France’s first class in recorder at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique and worked as a lecturer at the Conservatoire de Lyon for the further three decades. He is the composer and performer of original music for the animated films Pachamama (2018, dir. Juan Antin, nominated for the Césars in 2019) and Jehanne by Atam Rasho (2021).

Juho Myllylä is a recorder player and versatile musician. He studied recorders at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with Jorge Isaac, and graduated with a master’s degree in 2020. Juho works with the world-renowned renaissance recorder ensemble The Royal Wind Music since 2016. With the Finnish Ensemble Gamut! Juho is in constant search for new ways to perform early music through the fusion of medieval and renaissance music, folk music, improvisation and electronics. Juho has also performed solo recitals of new music at such festivals and venues as Grachtenfestival, Gaudeamus, November Music and Rewire as well as the prestigious Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and released a solo album Herder’s Herd featuring new works for recorders and electronics in 2025. www.juhomyllyla.com

Pierre Hamon will be releasing a new album with his group, La Chacana, entitled 'Incas & Conquistadors'. Featuring Pierre on recorders and aerophones, the album will tell the story of the encounter between the Spaniards and the Incas in 1519. The project is currently crowdfunding and you can find out more by clicking here.

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Today’s audio clips showcase the Mollenhauer Denner Tenor in Cherrywood. This keyless tenor is incredibly light yet has a strong sound and a sweet, balanced tone. This model is also available with double keys or comfort keys. Check out the audio clips below or follow this link to find out more about this instrument.