Biography
Sir James Galway (born 8 December 1939) is an Irish flute virtuoso from Belfast, famously known as "The Man with the Golden Flute." He built an international reputation as a solo flutist. In 2005, he was honored with the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music at the Classic Brit Awards.
Born in North Belfast as one of two brothers, Galway's father, a flutist, worked at the Harland and Wolff shipyard until the end of World War II and later took night shifts cleaning buses. His mother, a pianist, worked as a winder in a flax-spinning mill. Raised Presbyterian and immersed in a community rich with flute bands and musicians among friends and family, he began learning the flute from his uncle at age nine and joined a fife and drum corps. At eleven, Galway won the junior, senior, and open Belfast flute championships all in one day. His first instrument was a five-key Irish flute, and by age twelve or thirteen, he acquired a Boehm-system flute.
He attended Mountcollyer Secondary Modern School in Belfast but left at fourteen to apprentice as a piano repairer for two years.
Galway later studied flute at the Royal College of Music with John Francis and at the Guildhall School of Music under Geoffrey Gilbert. He briefly continued his studies at the Paris Conservatoire with Gaston Crunelle. While in Paris, he sought guidance from renowned French flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal, who offered advice but felt Galway was already an accomplished player and did not require formal lessons. Galway left Paris to accept his first orchestral flute position at Sadler's Wells Opera in London.
He spent fifteen years as an orchestral musician, performing with Sadler's Wells, Covent Garden Opera, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He auditioned for the Berlin Philharmonic under Herbert von Karajan and served as principal flutist there from 1969 to 1975. Despite Karajan's surprise and disappointment, Galway chose to leave the orchestra after some disagreements to embark on a solo career.
Beyond the classical repertoire, Galway incorporates contemporary works, including pieces commissioned by and written for him by composers such as David Amram, Malcolm Arnold, William Bolcom, John Corigliano, John Wolf Brennan, Dave Heath, Lowell Liebermann, and Joaquín Rodrigo. His collaboration with The Chieftains produced the album James Galway and The Chieftains in Ireland, which reached number 32 on the UK Albums Chart in 1987.
Galway continues to perform regularly and remains one of the most renowned flute players worldwide. His recordings have sold over 30 million copies.
