Samsara is committed to inspire the creation of new repertoire for our unusual flute/saxophone duo. Therefore, the programme includes pieces written especially for them, with a world premiere and a UK premiere.
This work Beata Viscera was written around 1200 and celebrates the mystery of the Virgin Mary. It was sung during a Mass celebrated for the Virgin Mary and translates as 'O blessed womb'. It has been arranged for flute and saxophone.
i No. 11 BWV797, ii No. 6 BWV777
The Inventions and Sinfonias, BWV 772–801, also known as the Two- and Three-Part Inventions, are a collection of thirty short keyboard compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): 15 inventions, which are two-part contrapuntal pieces, and 15 sinfonias, which are three-part contrapuntal pieces. They were originally written as Praeambula and Fantasiae in the Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, a clavier-booklet for his eldest son, and later rewritten as musical exercises for his students.
"Two Lines" is a composition by English composer Gavin Bryars for two recorders (tenor and bass) which has been arranged for flute and alto saxophone. Written in 2007 at the request of performers Peter Bowman and Kathryn Bennets to celebrate their 20th anniversary, the piece is a response to J.S. Bach's "Two-Part Inventions".
This piece was written for Sara Minelli who premiered it in April 2024. The piece incorporates a traditional lullaby from Tuscany into the bass flute. Sara sings and plays at the same time!
"O Great Spirit" is a song composed by the jazz musician Gerry Mulligan near the end of his life. He never recorded it but it was later recorded by artists like the Bud Shank Quartet.
Eco-Stress by Jinhee Han was composed in 2020 for the Samsara Duo. This is the world premiere. The piece is about climate change with elements representing soil, nature and the sky.
Richard Causton's piece was commissioned with the support of Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust. It is about a snowfall. Composed in 2021, this is the UK premiere.
Samsara Duo (Flute/Saxophone Duo)
Sara Minelli is an Italian flautist based in London since 2011. She has a wide repertoire, extensive experience in performing New Music and a growing reputation for exquisite live performances. Her debut solo album, New Resonances, was released in 2018 with critical acclaim, appearing in important magazines, such as Pan, the Journal of the British Flute Society and the Guardian. In 2022, Sara's latest album, Where Song Was Born, has been successfully released on the Metier label (UK), with excellent reviews from the British Music Society, The Flute Journal, Web Music International, Fanfare (US). Sara is highly regarded as a solo performer and has played extensively in the UK and abroad. In 2025 Sara has been collaborating with Riot Ensemble in concerts at Cambridge University, including the Electro/acoustic Festival and at Royal Academy of Music.
Mario Marzi is winner of nine national and four international competitions. He has performed with the most important symphonic orchestras in Italy, and venues across the world, such as the Carnegie Hall in New York. He devoted himself to XXth century repertoire and some of the most meaningful contemporary works for saxophone are dedicated to him. He has recorded for EMI, Edipan, Stradivarius, Agorà, BMG and Sony Classical. His CD of the major saxophone concertos for soloist and orchestra, which he recorded with "G. Verdi Symphony Orchestra" conducted by H. Schellemberger, was recently released in Italy by Amadeus and is now internationally released on ARTS.
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