Flutist Carmen Maret and guitarist Andrew Bergeron of the Folias Duo are in a special category of classical artists who write their own music, building the repertoire for flute and guitar. They’ll bring works like Bergeron’s Dragonfly and Maret’s Alchemy to the Chamber Music Festival of Saugatuck, in concerts at 7:30 pm on Thursday, July 21 and Friday, July 22 at the Saugatuck Woman’s Club.
They worked hard during the COVID-19 pandemic to stay in touch with fans by offering regular livestream performances, Maret and Bergeron tell Cara Lieurance in a preview of their Saugatuck concerts. They also continued to write new music. Maret says that several of the pieces on the festival program will be recorded for a new album in the new year.
Although the husband-and-wife team live in Grand Rapids, they prefer to compose in rustic settings of natural beauty such as national and state parks. They've each become adept at writing for the others' instrument, learning the quirks and possibilities of each. Along with their albums, the Folias Duo also sells sheet music for their works at their website.
