Winne Clement, flute maker
On Sunday 20th July 2025 - a unique performance will take place at Wicken Fen, created specially for the location, on overtone flutes handcrafted from willow branches harvested from the site. Sound artist and composer Jan Hendrickse, has joined Kathy Hinde to lead this element, drawing on his extensive experience playing flutes from all over the world and his creative practice centred around improvisation and co-composing music with others. Jan also has experience making flutes.
However, this particular method of flute making would not have been possible without the invaluable guidance and advice from Winne Clement. So - let's find out more about Winne...
Winne Clement is based in Ghent and you can find out more about his work at Fujara Flutes
Here are two incredible videos of Winne performing on his instruments, firstly with a double overtone flute made from a naturally twinned elder branch, and secondly, on an extremely large overtone flute (probably the largest in the world) he created and played for the soundtrack of the film The Whale' by Darren Aronofsky
Winne is not a folk musician, traditionalist or artist belonging to any group or style. A passionate soundseeker, composer and creator of his own sound-sculptures, instruments and music would be a better way to describe him and his work.
In his own words:
With a background in fine art, a passion for woodworking since childhood, and coming from a musical family, I always deeply enjoyed music, though it took me a while to find my instrument.
As a kid I momentary stayed in a Part of the city where many Turkish people lived and I remember admiring the music and particularly the sound of flutes I could hear coming in through the window.
When I was in my twenties I heard the sound of a Turkish ney again on the radio, and later the Slovak fujara, and I remember being completely mesmerized. This was it; this was what I always wanted to learn.
Apart from the deeply moving, haunting sound, the rudimentary honesty of making sound and music using only one's breath struck me. Simply blowing into a tube with some simple holes seemed strongly earnest and made a deep impression on me.
Out of this personal compulsion to play a unique, quality instrument with a touching character and moving sound, I started making and designing them for myself.
After many years of study and trial and error, a whole world opened up for me. it took over my life completely. I found myself doing nothing else from morning until deep in the night, playing music and searching for that utopian 'ideal' sound, the perfect soundmaker. A vibe, a buzz a reverb that touches deep. As someone once said 'The sound of bees is the only sound here on earth that resembles the sound of other side' maybe that is what I am after - hah!
I never thought or imagined it could become my livelihood, like it is now. it just happened and I am very happy and thankful that it did.
I don't read notes, instead I focus on sound and sound modulation, timbres and melodic phrases. When I play I aim to be touched by a note or the general sound of my instrument, because that is when the music comes naturally.
As a maker of my own instruments it is a privilege to experience a connection to the sound I 'sculpted' and searched for. It is an indescribable feeling to 'work and play' with that sound, and amongst the highest level of satisfaction I have reached in life so far.