NATCHITOCHES – The first NSU Flute Festival will be held on Sunday, Jan. 21 from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall.
Festival organizer Northwestern State University Assistant Professor of Flute Dr. Stephen Clark said the event would be the first of its type in the region. The festival will include classes, workshops and group playing and is open to flute players of all ages and abilities. The event is free, but those planning to attend must register in advance at nsuflutefest.com. The festival is sponsored by the Dear School of Creative and Performing Arts at NSU.
Clark will be joined by soloist, author and recording artist Mark Sparks, a former principal flute of the St. Louis Symphony orchestra.
Sparks has appeared as a soloist and orchestral artist throughout the world. An enthusiastic teacher, many of his students occupy chairs in American orchestras. He is a faculty member at DePaul University and the Aspen Music Festival and School. Sparks has recorded several solo albums, published arrangements for flute and piano and writes about flute playing as a contributing editor of Flute Talk magazine. He is currently writing several books about orchestral excerpts and flute tone development.
Joining the Festival virtually from Switzerland will be Sir James Galway, the most celebrated flute player of all time, who is called “The Man with the Golden Flute.” Galway is the former principal flute of the Berlin Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra.
With over 30 million recordings sold worldwide, extensive international touring, frequent television appearances, tireless promotion of the arts and his passionate work in music education, Galway has been a household name for decades. His uniquely expressive interpretations of flute literature span an extensive range of genres, from classical masterworks to high profile commissions, and provide the benchmark standard for all modern flautists. He has also collaborated on film soundtracks such as “The Lord of the Rings,” and partnered such popular artists as Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Joni Mitchell and Sir Elton John. The diversity of Galway’s repertoire reflects his impressive musical range and has served to establish him as an artist of the very highest stature.
A strong supporter of the arts and charitable causes, Galway devotes much of his free time to furthering music education, sharing his wisdom and experience with the musical generation of tomorrow. The Galway Flute Academy, Sir James and Lady Galway’s educational platform, enables them to nurture and mentor flutists of all levels through their various programs (www.galwayfluteacademy.com). Current teaching residencies include the Royal Irish Academy Dublin, Ireland; The Royal College of Music London and The Birmingham Conservatoire, UK; and The Frost School of Music at the University of Miami where he was awarded an honorary doctorate of music and presented the commencement address in May 2018.
