When Elise Shope Henry first picked up the flute as a sixth grader, she admits her choice of instrument was at random. Yet fascinated by its bright, soprano sound, she said, “the more I played, the more it really grew on me.” And by senior year of high school, she decided she’d become a professional musician. 

Looking back on her journey with the flute, she shares her fondest memories with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, interesting tidbits about her instrument, and moments from the music she finds most impactful. 

Can you tell us about your first flute?  

When I started playing, I think I had a nickel-plated Yamaha for a few years. Once my parents knew I was a little bit more serious, I moved up, but I didn’t get a flute with any other metal than silver until college. Not that that really matters, though. Flutists play all kinds of different metal, and gold is not necessarily superior to silver. 

As I progressed, I got more bells and whistles on it. You can add trill keys, play around with different metals, and that will give you different sounds. The instrument I have now is particular to my role in the orchestra as second flute.  

What’s unique about it? 

I have platinum in the riser of my head joint which generally gives you a louder, fuller sound. As second flute, I use that to project in the lower register since I play more of the lower harmonies and lines. I also have a combination of silver and gold on the instrument. The silver gives it a really nice brightness and blends with our two principals, who have completely silver flutes, and the gold matches the piccolo player.  

My job as second flute is to interpret what the principal’s doing and mimic, enhance, or be an equal to it. The longer I play with members of my section, the more I feel like I can kind of read their body language and anticipate the way we’ll connect.  

Which piece are you most excited for this season?   

Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder! I've played it one time before, but it's not played that often because it just requires so many people—multiple choirs, eight flute players—I mean it’s just the biggest wind and string sections I've ever seen of any piece, and it’s cool.  

What piece of music… 

…gives you chills? 

Anything Mahler! But particularly the Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth) and Mahler Nine—my favorite Mahler symphony.  

…brings you to tears? 

Oh, Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet—it’s just so tragically beautiful, especially the music accompanying the scene when Romeo is at Juliet’s grave.  

I remember when we did it, maybe five years ago with Gustavo, [American Ballet Theatre, and L.A. Dance Project]. Just to be able to see the dancers act out the music was breathtaking. They did this whole filmed production, where the camera followed the dancers all over Disney Hall—backstage, in the freight elevator, down the stairs. The tomb was underneath the stage, so when the dancers came out, it was all dim and dark, which definitely added more emotion to it. 

…puts a smile on your face? 

I love Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique. In my free time, if I have it and want to listen to a classical piece, I really like the second movement, “A ball.” It’s so great, but so is the whole thing, just the character and liveliness of each movement makes me laugh! 

You've been with the LA Phil since 2012! Twelve years in, what’s been one of your most memorable career highlights? 

Frank Zappa’s 200 Motels – The Suites was fantastic. It's not often we get to play his music, and it was just really outrageous and fun. 

Plus, anytime we go on tour is always great.

What we hear on the stage is always different. Sometimes I’m sitting in my chair, and I hear an instrument or a line that I’ve never heard before because the room brings it out in a new way.