BFS Belfast Flute Day

With the flute section of the Ulster Orchestra (Mark Taylor, Jennifer Sturgeon, and Andrew Douglas) and guest artists Aisling Agnew and Sarah Murphy.

Sunday 29th November 2026, 10 am - 4 pm
Queens University Music Department, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN

Join us for a wonderful day of Fluting in Belfast! We are delighted to be joined by the flute section of the Ulster Orchestra (Mark Taylor, Jennifer Sturgeon, and Andrew Douglas) and celebrated flautists Aisling Agnew and Sarah Murphy. 

The day will include:

  • Master classes,

  • Massed flute choir session led by the BFS’s Sandy Hay,

  • Smaller ensemble sessions,

  • Sessions specifically for those who play the piccolo and low flutes. 

  • The winners of the BFS Ensemble competition 2026, Clarion Winds from Dublin, will be performing in the closing concert.

Richard Douglas will be on hand to assist with any repairs or any advice you need regarding your instrument.

We will also be joined by Just Flutes.

It promises to be a fantastic day and has something for everyone. 

Suitable for players of all ages (aged 14+ accompanied by a responsible adult).

Grade 5 and above.

Tickets £25

 

About Aisling Agnew

Aisling Agnew is a flautist from Belfast. She has performed internationally including North & South America, Asia and across Europe at prominent festivals such as Musicahora in Chile, NFA Flute Convention at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Jeonju International Sori Festival in Korea, Warsaw Autumn, Sarajevo Winter Festival and closer to home at New Music Dublin, British Flute Convention in Manchester, Celtic Connections in Glasgow, and Belfast International Arts Festival. Aisling created the successful podcast The Flute NI and has released several recordings, many of which are broadcast on BBC Radio, RTE Lyric FM and Classic FM. Her latest album Alone was released in 2025. 

Aisling is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and is the recipient of many awards including the Countess of Munster, SIAP (Arts Council of Northern Ireland), Creative Scotland and Belfast Classical Music Bursaries. Aisling leads a busy and diverse career, regularly performing with orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout the UK and Ireland, most notably as both flautist and Artistic Director of Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble. This reflects her long-standing passion for new music, and collaborations with creative musicians and composers. Aisling has commissioned, premiered and recorded many important contemporary works for flute and highlights include performing for Sir Peter Maxwell Davies 80th birthday concert, Greg Caffrey’s Flute Concerto with Camerata Irelandat Clandeboye Festival and giving the first performance in Scotland of Penderecki’s Flute Concerto with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Aisling's varied experience in music education has included teaching at St Andrews University, masterclasses across the US, workshops for special needs schools, and the formation of Flute Phonics flute choir in Glasgow. She recently established the Four Corners Flute Orchestra in 2026 with partners from across Ireland, and she teaches the flute at Queen’s University Belfast.

About Sarah Murphy

Sarah Murphy is a flautist, composer, and creative facilitator based in Derry whose work is shaped by collaboration, participatory music-making, and a belief in the power of music to connect people across cultures and communities.

Sarah is an internationally active flautist, performing across classical and world music, coaching ensembles, and adjudicating competitions. Performances in the past year have taken her to Italy, Kenya, England and Ireland. Sarah is also a co-founder of Wall2Wall Music, creating new music collaboratively with people of all ages and abilities. Her work has been supported by the Arts Councils of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, among others.

Recent commissions include composing and performing music for a new play premiered in Kenya as part of the British Council's UK–Kenya 2025 Festival Season. In 2026, she co-produced a short film exploring peat bogs and wetlands in Kenya and Northern Ireland, alongside composing its music and soundscape. Earlier commissions include a civic work for community choirs and orchestra, two compositions for a Japanese community taiko festival, and a suite of songs created with 100 primary school children in County Laois, inspired by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Creative expression, whether joyfully playing her flutes, composing new music, sharing the power of participatory music making, or teaching and mentoring, is at the heart of Sarah's work. She is endlessly curious about what new possibilities of creative expression lie just around the corner.

About Mark Taylor

Scottish flautist Mark Taylor, was recently appointed as Section Leader Flute of the Ulster Orchestra. He received his early musical training at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Junior Academy of Music and at the Music School of Douglas Academy, studying with Sheena Gordon and Andrea Kuypers. Mark moved to London to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he graduated with First Class Honours and a prestigious Concert Recital Diploma. Whilst at Guildhall Mark studied with Sarah Newbold, Philippa Davies and Ian Clarke. He later pursued his postgraduate studies at the Hochshule für Musik und Tanz, Köln with Professor Robert Winn. 

A multi-award winner, Mark has been the recipient of; The Elias Fawcett prize from The Royal Overseas League, The Felicity Belfield Award and Star Award from The Countess of Munster, The Wiseman Prize from The Sir James Caird Travelling Scholarship Fund and The June Allison Woodwind Award from the Philharmonia Orchestra’s Martin Musical Scholarship Fund. 

Mark is regularly invited to play Guest Principal Flute with orchestras across the UK and beyond including Britten Sinfonia, City of London Sinfonia, The Hallé Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Opera North, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Scottish Ballet. He has also worked with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra.

As a soloist, Mark has performed recitals with his collaborative pianist Nathan Tinker at the Cheltenham, Dart and Leicester International Music Festivals. As well as appearing as a concerto soloist with the Britten Sinfonia alongside Alison Balsom and Nicholas Daniel. 

In addition to his performance career Mark is committed to education, teaching Flute and Piccolo at both the Purcell School for Young Musicians and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama's Junior Department. For several years Mark has been heavily involved in developing music provision across West Hertfordshire, enabling young people regardless of background or circumstances to have access to high-quality music learning opportunities.

 

About Jennifer Sturgeon

Jennifer Sturgeon began learning the flute at the age of seven under the tutelage of Colin Fleming. At 13, she won the Woodwind Section of the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition and went on to represent Ireland at the Eurovision Young Musician Competition.
After graduating with a Master of Arts in Music from Clare College, Cambridge, Jennifer pursued a freelance career in London before being appointed Principal Flute No 2 with the Ulster Orchestra. As a soloist, she has performed the Mozart Concerto for Flute and Harp with the Ulster Orchestra, recorded for BBC Radio 3 & Radio Ulster and has recently released a chamber music album “Sweet Chance” with Convivium Records.
Alongside her performing career, Jennifer is an examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), undertaking tours throughout Ireland, the UK and internationally.

 

About Andrew Douglas

Andrew Douglas was born into a family of musicians and began studying the flute at the age of 6. During his youth, Andrew was the Northern Ireland Young Musician of the Year in 2012 and was named Principal Flute of the City of Belfast Youth Orchestra and Ulster Youth Orchestra. Andrew then went on to graduate with honours from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland under the tutelage of Janet Burnley, Richard Blake and Helen Brew.

Andrew currently holds the position of Principal Flute No.3 and Principal Piccolo with the Ulster Orchestra and has performed alongside ensembles such as the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Orchestra of Scottish Opera, Orchestra of Scottish Ballet, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Camerata Ireland and Le Foyer des Artistes. Andrew was a recipient of the BBC Young Musicians Platform Award, the Flax Trust Arts Bursary and has been supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Off the platform Andrew tutors the City of Belfast Youth Orchestra woodwind section, is the conductor of Ballymena YC Flute Band and enjoys playing an active role in Ballygowan Concert Flute Band where he has been a member for 24 years.

 

About Richard Douglas

Richard is a flute teacher, performer and repairer. His interest in flute repair began in the early 1990s while working on the sales team at London based flute specialist All Flutes Plus. He has since attended various courses and workshops to develop his repair skills and has been repairing flutes regularly since 2010.

We look forward to seeing you there!

If you need any more information, please contact us at events@bfs.org.uk.

More about the BFS Flute Day Series 2025-26

BFS Flute Days give you the chance to connect with like-minded people, enjoy listening to great flute players, and make music together. Each day will focus on ensemble and flute choir playing, technique and a masterclass, as well as a short concert to celebrate what we have achieved across the day, and will feature a guest artist with strong links to your particular area.

Other events in the series include: