CU Presentsâ landmark 80th-anniversary concludes with a concert starring the flutist and living legend Sir James Galway. On Wednesday, March 22, the world-renowned star plays alongside his wife, Lady Jeanne Galway, and other friends.
Between his classical credits, his star-studded collaborations with the likes of Ray Charles, Joni Mitchell and Sir Elton JohnÌęand his bestselling recordings for The Lord of the RingsÌęfilms, Galway is the premier flutist of our time. Together with Lady Galway, heâll demonstrate his virtuoso chops in style at Macky Auditorium with a program of hidden gems from the 18th and 19th centuriesâfrom Briccialdiâs âIl Carnevale di Veneziaâ to an arrangement of Kreislerâs âSchön Rosmarin.â
The Galwaysâ visit to Boulder is part of a month jam-packed with flute events at CU Boulderâs . The concert comes on the heels of , a festival of talks, concerts and workshops for students, alumni and flute enthusiasts in the local community.
Once aÌęFlutist host Christina Jennings says she couldnât ask for a better festival closer than Galway. âHeâs obviously an iconic name in flute playing,â she says.
What: Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway and Friends
When: Wednesday, March 22, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Macky Auditorium
Tickets:
CU Presents Executive Director Joan McLean Braun, a flutist herself, says she was drawn to Galway not just for his fame but also for his efforts to champion music education in classrooms everywhere.
âHeâs provided children with a fun and healthy way to learn the flute with workshops and with his own academy,â Braun says. âHe really approaches music with joy and fun, and I think people respond to that.â
Itâs undeniable that Galwayâs refusal to take the instrument too seriously has contributed to his ubiquity across countless genres. While so many classical virtuosi stick to the style for which they were trained, Belfast-born and conservatory-educated Galway has unapologetically reached across the aisle to perform and record with Celtic, rock and pop acts.
As a result, he has sold more than 30 million records, received a handful of prestigious lifetime achievement awards and a knighthood and earned the moniker âThe Man with the Golden Flute.â
After four decades of performing, youâd think both Galways would have slowed down by now, but they tour and play as if theyâve only just begun. At a recent concert in the U.S., a reporter for the Chicago Tribune notedÌęGalwayâs signature âtwinkly repartee with the audienceâ hadnât faded.
The , âThe nonchalant virtuosity and sterling musicianship that have kept Galway's solo career going strong for nearly 40 years were readily apparent . . . Galway's playing remains a marvel.â