James Galway

Since his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 1969, and then freelancing from 1975 onwards, Northern Irish flautist James Galway has given his credentials to an instrument too often sidelined in the classical department. The multi-award-winning musician, named a Knight of the British Empire in 2001, has played with an impressive array of artists, from classical to rock (Jessye Norman, Andrea Bocelli, Ray Charles, The Chieftains, Henry Mancini, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Roger Waters...). In his own field, Sir James Galway has left his mark on the great works of the repertoire with his characteristic twirling style. We owe him the memorable musical passages of the films The Lord of the Rings (Return of the King, 2003) and Fuego del Tango (1999) and albums such as In Ireland (1986) and Unbreak My Heart (1999), not forgetting the impressive box set Sixty Years of Flute (1999).