As part of our Competitions 2024 programme, we’re hosting an event for amateur players to come together, play flute ensemble music, and have the opportunity to perform to a friendly and supportive audience. It will include:

• Ensemble playing

• An optional opportunity to perform (either as an individual or with an ensemble you’re part of) and receive constructive feedback from our workshop leader, the fantastic Carla Rees, Professor of Low Flutes and Contemporary Flute at the Royal Academy of Music in London and Programme Leader at the Open College of the Arts

• A chance for questions and discussion about all things flute!

It’s open to non-professional players of any standard aged 25 and over. While everyone who signs up will take part in the ensemble playing, performing is not compulsory - you can choose to watch, support and enjoy the performances instead if you’d like.

The event takes place in conjunction with our Competitions 2024 competitive categories - so there will also be a chance to watch performances from talented young players and browse trade stands with an array of flutes, accessories and sheet music - a great chance to find your next flute, upgrade your kit or discover some fab new repertoire!

Booking will close on Sunday January 14 at 11:59pm GMT. For full details and to register, please visit the event page below:

Our very own BFS Council is performing a festive concert in Market Harborough, Leicestershire! Join them for some beautiful flute ensemble pieces, with all proceeds going to support our work.

Email chair@bfs.org.uk to reserve a ticket, or just turn up.

There will be a collection box so feel free to bring your loose change!

Tickets £5 / under 16s free

Join us for a day packed with interesting sessions, inspiring performances and the chance to connect with other players!

Tickets are £7.50 for BFS members and £10 for non-members; the 12pm AGM session is free to attend.

PROGRAMME:

10am - How to Create a Great Video Performance

Led by Carla Rees, this session will share expert tips and advice for creating a video performance, particularly how to get the best sound when recording your flute. Carla will be joined by Simon Hall, who will be sharing his technical expertise as a recording engineer and educator. An invaluable session if you’re thinking about entering our Competitions in 2022!

Carla Rees is an innovative flute player, composer, arranger, improviser and teacher. She combines an international performing career as a soloist, chamber musician and recording artist with academic roles as Music Programme Leader at the Open College of Arts, Professor of Low Flutes & Contemporary Flute at the Royal Academy of Music and visiting teacher of flute at Royal Holloway University.

Simon Hall spent many years as a “classic” portfolio musician, combining work as a music producer, recording engineer, composer and bass trombone player with teaching, education and academia. He is currently Head of Music Technology, as well as Interim Vice Principal, at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, UK.

11am - Performances and Catch Up with the 2021 BFS Competition Winners

Watch specially created video performances by our 2021 Competition winners. Hosted by Lisa Nelson, find out what they’ve been up to since winning the competition and any tips they have for a prize winning performance!

12pm - AGM session

Join us free for the BFS AGM meeting 2021. Please note this session will be run via a separate Zoom link.

1pm - Lunch

2pm - Lea Pearson - Body Mapping

Rockstar Warm Ups! - Have you ever noticed how comfortable rock stars are in using their bodies, yet classical musicians tend to have a lots of physical tension? Join Lea for some fun movement activities that will get you playing like a rockstar! (don’t forget to bring your flute!)

A leader in pedagogy, Lea Pearson trains teachers to help students prevent tension and pain, and to centre the body in learning.  Author of Body Mapping for Flutists: What Every Flute Teacher Needs to Know about the Body, Lea is a DMA, Ohio State, Fulbright Scholar, and Licensed Body Mapping Educator.

3.15 pm - Rachel Wolffsohn from the OHMI Trust - Adapted Instruments

The OHMI Trust is a charity that works to remove the barriers to music-making faced by people with physical impairments. Virtually all musical instruments are unplayable to any reasonable standard without ten highly dexterous fingers. As a result, thousands of people are excluded from music-making. The OHMI Trust strives for full, undifferentiated, participation in musical life for disabled people of all ages through the creation and provision of adapted musical instruments and enabling apparatus.

In this session Rachel Wolffsohn, OHMI's General Manager, will explain more about some of the ground-breaking instruments and apparatus that OHMI has sourced and developed, particularly those that are relevant for flautists.

3.45pm - Teachers’ Tea and Chat

Following the session from the OHMI Trust, there will be chance to grab a cuppa (or drink of your choice!) and catch up with other teachers.

Click the button below to book!

In Conversation With is our series of free online talks and Q&As with inspiring players. We're excited to announce our latest guest - the brilliant Stephen Clark.

Recipient of the 2016 Sir James Galway Rising Star Award and 1st Prize winner of the 2018 IMKA Music Competition and the 2018 Alexander & Buono International Flute Competition, Stephen Clark gives more than 150 performances each year across all 7 continents and made his New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 2018.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, he studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Royal Northern College of Music and in Switzerland and America with Sir James Galway. Regularly invited to perform at flute festivals, he has given solo recitals at both the Conventions of the British Flute Society and the National Flute Association of America, and the Sir James Galway Flute Festival in Switzerland. Solo engagements have taken him to over 120 countries.

In addition to his performing schedule, Stephen is frequently invited to give masterclasses and workshops for flute players around the world. As well as his recital and concert appearances internationally, Stephen has been invited many times to perform on some of the world's most luxurious cruise liners and has performed concerts for Seabourn, Holland America Line, Silversea, Princess, Crystal, Azamara, Celebrity, P&O, Oceania, Cunard and Regent Seven Seas cruise lines.

Stephen has recorded for Classic FM, Amadeus, Linn Records and for the Naxos label and broadcast live on Northern Ireland’s 7FM and BBC Radio 3. He has released 2 solo albums on the Voyage Record Label. In 2015, Stephen was accepted into the Recording Academy of America and is now a voting member in the Grammys.

Stephen has appeared on screen as the flute player in both the BBC's period drama series "Desperate Romantics" and ITV's feature film "Miss Marple - The Secret of Chimneys". He is author of “The Flute Gym” - a manual for advanced flute players.

Stephen is a Yamaha Artist and plays a 14k gold handmade Yamaha flute.

Join us to hear Stephen share insights and advice from his flute-playing life, and answer all your questions!

In Conversation With is our series of free online talks and Q&As with inspiring players. We're excited to announce our third guest - the brilliant Rebecca Hall.

2021 marks Rebecca Hall's silver anniversary as Principal Flute of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. In that role she has toured four continents, presented masterclasses from Australia to North America and played thousands of concerts. Dr. Hall also lectures in flute, chamber music, baroque studies and women in music for the University of Malta and tutors the Malta Youth Orchestra.

Her interest in voice and song will be the focus of this talk. Tales from the opera orchestra pit, working with singers, vocal production and transcriptions of works from voice to flute will all be on the table - so be prepared to warm up your voices and sing along!

Join us to hear Rebecca share insights and advice from her flute-playing life, and answer all your questions!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for In Conversation With Adam Walker, the first in our series of free online talks with inspiring players. We're excited to announce our next guest - the brilliant Eliza Marshall.

Eliza Marshall is a flautist who is extremely in demand for her versatility and ability to play in all styles and genres, and she enjoys a diverse career of music from all corners of the globe.

A lover of travel,  she has toured with Peter Gabriel throughout Europe, North and South America, and all over India with sarod guru Amjad Ali Khan/Britten Sinfonia.  

She founded folk band ‘Ranagri’, recording five highly acclaimed albums with Stockfisch and Wrasse Records and performing at Cambridge Folk Festival, Birmingham Symphony Hall, The Union Chapel, and The Terry Wogan Show.  

Featuring her unique Indian bansuri playing, she appeared for the World Première of Joby Talbot's ballet ‘The Winter's Tale’, as onstage soloist at The Royal Opera House accompanied by Orchestra of Covent Garden, followed by performances with The Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Brisbane.

Eliza can be heard on numerous blockbuster film scores and albums, including for Ridley Scott and Peter Jackson, Hans Zimmer, James Horner and Danny Elfman, on Lord Of The Rings,  Prometheus, The Great Gatsby, with Paul McCartney, The Who and Stevie Wonder, at Abbey Road and Air Studios, or on 18 flutes for The Lion King in London.  

Eliza believes strongly in the binding qualities that cross-cultural music-making offers. Trips to Africa and Scotland are an important part of Eliza’s musical passions, also fulfilling her love for wilderness. This has inspired her latest project ‘Freedom To Roam’, launching at Cecil Sharp House in December 2021.

Join us to hear Eliza discuss her career, new projects, and how to innovate during a time like this - and answer all your questions!

We’re delighted to welcome Adam Walker as the first guest in our new series, In Conversation With - a programme of free online talks with inspiring players. Hosted by our Chair Lisa Nelsen, each month we’ll invite a special guest for a candid conversation about all things flute - from their careers and projects to technique and advice.

Join us for a lively chat as Adam shares his wisdom and discusses his life as a flautist and the new directions he's taking. Held on Zoom, the event will be interactive, with a chance for audience members to ask questions.

The event will also be live-streamed via Facebook (though we’ll only be accepting questions from the audience on Zoom) - you’ll be able to watch via our Facebook page here.

About Adam Walker

At the forefront of a new generation of wind soloists, Adam was appointed principal flute of the London Symphony Orchestra at the age of just 21.

Born in 1987, Adam Walker studied at Chetham’s School of Music with Gitte Sorensen and at the Royal Academy of Music with Michael Cox graduating with distinction in 2009. He was appointed professor at the Royal College of Music in 2017.

As a soloist he regularly performs with the major UK orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony, London Symphony, Hallé, Ulster, Scottish Chamber and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and further afield he has performed with the likes of the Baltimore Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Mexico, Seoul Philharmonic and Auckland Philharmonia.

Adam’s interests range from the less well-known French Baroque repertoire through to newly commissioned works. A committed chamber musician, in 2018 he launched the wind group the Orsino Ensemble at the Aldeburgh Festival. He appears regularly at the Wigmore Hall, and in 2018 participated in the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s prestigious Bowers Program, performing and touring with the ensemble both at Lincoln Center and across the United States for three seasons. 

Adam has just released his first recital disc with Chandos, French Works for Flute, featuring the Franck Sonata alongside works by Saint-Saëns, Duruflé and Widor with pianist James Baillieu and violist Timothy Ridout. The Orsino Ensemble has also released its first CD centred around music of the French Belle Époque (Roussel, Debussy, Chaminade, Caplet, Jean Cras). Earlier recordings include Vocalise (Opus Arte), the Kevin Puts Flute Concerto with Marin Alsop and the Peabody Institute (Naxos) and the Huw Watkins Concerto with the Hallé and Ryan Wigglesworth (NMC).

The British Flute Society invites you to its Annual General Meeting for 2020. This year we are running an online day of performances, Q&A, advice and discussion, with special guests Aldo Baerten and Peter Verhoyen. Tickets are £10 for each of the morning and afternoon sessions or £15 for both - these sessions are open to members and non-members. The lunchtime session is free and open to BFS members only.

Morning session
10-11 Aldo Baerten - performance, presentation and Q&A
11-11.15 Break
11.15-12 Peter Verhoyen - performance and presentation

Lunchtime session - BFS members only
12-12.30 Q&A and discussion with Peter Verhoyen and Alena Walentin
12.30-1 Break
1-2 AGM - documents and voting forms will be sent to members in August

Afternoon session
2-2.30 Performances by BFS 2020 Competition winners
2.30-5 Teachers session - presentations and discussion with a focus on returning to teaching post-lockdown.

Visit the booking page for further information and tickets.

The AGM is kindly sponsored by Forton Music. 

Forton Music have been publishing wind music for over ten years now. Our flute catalogue is extensive and caters for just about every combination of flutes. Our latest release is now live on our website, featuring a new flute sonata by Yuri Povolotsky, and an album of flute and piano pieces commissioned for a 50th birthday celebration.

https://fortonmusic.co.uk/

Join us at this exclusive online teachers' event for BFS members. With a focus on the current shape of flute teaching as we respond to the restrictions of the Coronavirus pandemic, there will be short presentations on online teaching and online exams, plus lots of time to discuss and share your experiences of the challenges and opportunities of teaching at the present time. 

Introduction - Lisa NelsenLisa is Chair of the British Flute Society and is internationally recognised for her versatility as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, educator and mentor in performance practices. She is one of the flute professors and Woodwind Academy coaches for the Junior Department of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and also teaches at Oakham School, Rutland and King Henry VIII in Coventry. Lisa will welcome members to this event and introduce the main issues facing flute teachers today.

Online Flute Teaching - Carla Rees
Carla is a low flutes specialist who has developed an international reputation for her innovative work. Her multi-faceted career encompasses solo and chamber music performance, collaboration, recording, composing, arranging, editing and teaching. She is editor of PAN magazine, and Leader of the Open College of the Arts BA(Hons) Music Programme, a distance learning degree for students around the world. She brings her experience of teaching and collaborating online and her technological knowledge to discuss the best ways of teaching online, with tips for the best software, equipment and good practice for online lessons.

Online Exams - David Barton
David is a BFS Council member, who has taught flute, piano and singing on a private basis since 2001, and also provides online mentoring for teaching diplomas, supporting a wide range of instrumental teachers with their professional development. He is an active researcher and writer in the field of music education and is currently studying for a PhD at the Royal College of Music, researching autonomy and control in private instrumental teaching. Following on from his article in the March 2020 edition of PAN, exploring the range of exam options, David will present a summary of the online offerings from the music exam boards, which have emerged in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Tickets are £15 and are only available to current BFS members - to join or renew your membership, click here. To book your place, click here.