Ernesto Köhler

Ernesto Köhler (4 December 1849 – 17 March 1907) was an Italian flautist and composer. He was considered one of the best flautists of his era as well as a prolific composer and a gifted educator. As a young student, Köhler exhibited a natural proclivity for his chosen instrument and made rapid progress in his studies. During these early years he embarked upon numerous concert tours in Italy with his brother Ferdinando, who was a noted pianist. At the urging of the Italian flautist Cesare Ciardi, Köhler subsequently left Vienna for an appointment as a flautist in the orchestra of the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersberg in 1871. Following the death of Ciardi in 1877, Köhler subsequently assumed a position as a soloist in the orchestra of the Imperial Opera in Saint Petersburg and rose to become the orchestra’s first flautist in 1900. In this capacity, he served for several years as the premier flautist in the Empire of the Czar. His publisher was Julius Heinrich Zimmermann. Death Ernesto Köhler died in Saint Petersburg on 17 March 1907. Compositions for flute A partial listing of Köhler’s compositions for flute includes the following works: Flute and orchestra * Shephard Idylle, (Hirte