Sir James Galway

Sir James Galway, who was born in 1939 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, initially studied at the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School in London as well as at the Paris Conservatoire. After his first engagements with major British orchestras, in 1969 he was named principal flutist of the Berlin Philharmonic under Herbert von Karajan, where he remained for six years. In 1975 Galway decided on a solo career, and since then he has performed with the leading orchestras, ensembles, and conductors around the world. In the 2016-17 season he was a guest at the BBC Proms, and he completed a concert tour of the United States in March and of Great Britain in May. Sir James has released 97 CDs: these have sold more than 30 million copies and have received numerous awards. His discography is devoted not only to the classic flute repertoire from the Baroque to the present but also to film music – including such soundtracks as The Lord of the Rings – and he has worked with pop stars like Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Joni Mitchell, and Sir Elton John. Educational work plays a significant role for him as well: he teaches at the Royal College of Music, the Birmingham Conservatoire, and the Royal Irish Academy of Music; runs a flute academy (together with his wife, Jeanne Galway) and an educational online network titled “First Flute”; and regularly produces flute festivals with dozens of participants. Sir James has published a number of books and flute studies. He is a Special Representative for UNICEF and an Ambassador to the European Brain Council. In 1979 Galway was made an Officer in the Order of the British Empire, and in 2001 he was awarded a Knighthood. He received Gramophone’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 and the Gold Medal from the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts in 2016.

LUCERNE FESTIVAL (IMF) debut on 18  August 1977 in a concert by the Tokyo Academic Ensemble with works by Vivaldi and Carl Stamitz.

April 2017