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Unveiling
of new
pan flutes

Two years ago, Matthijs Koene, known as the “pan flute player of the Netherlands,” festively unveiled an all-metal pan flute at our Presentation Festival in Zaandam. That city is also the birthplace of the new instrument, which was the result of years of research, experimentation, and refinement. A groundbreaking development in the pan flute; the story even made it onto Eva Jinek’s talk show.

News
17 April 2025 by Lennart van der Sman

final

That 2022 prototype served as the foundation for the collaborative partnership between Flentrop, Matthijs Koene, and Het Muziekinstrumentenfonds to further develop the instrument. Now, three years later, we are proud to unveil the final Flentrop Pan Flute, which has been significantly improved compared to the first model. Not only has Matthijs Koene been loaned one, but his student Taras Berchtold (23) has also been presented with one.

Perfect

Matthijs Koene’s bold idea and the close collaboration with Flentrop Orgelbouw in Zaandam led to a revolutionary pan flute in 2022. No effort was spared in developing an entirely new instrument. The metal pan flute was made entirely of tin and brass and featured a uniquely designed tuning system in its 29 pipes. “I now have access to many more timbres and an even faster response, which gives me the tools to secure the pan flute its rightful place as a classical instrument,” Matthijs said at the time. However, after half a year of thorough testing and experimentation, it became clear that there was still plenty of room for improvement. In Flentrop’s workshop, the absolute limits were once again pushed. With a few key adjustments, Matthijs now has “the perfect” version in his hands.

Sparkle

Flentrop crafted three copies of the final model: two for the Musical Instrument Fund—to be loaned to Matthijs and his student Taras—and a third for an enthusiastic private collector. We are pleased to be able to help a young musician in his musical development in this way. Taras, who is of Swiss-Ukrainian descent, is studying at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and has already won several awards. Taras now also teaches pan flute at a music school.

Last week, the instruments arrived in Zaandam, securely packed in a wooden crate and still fresh with varnish. The pan flutes were unpacked, presented, and unveiled in a festive ceremony. Just as the brass sparkled, so did the eyes of the three musicians. Immediately, they put the tin to their lips to produce the very first notes. And they couldn’t stop playing…