James Galway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Galway
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Galway in 2013
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| Background information | |
| Born | 8 December 1939 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Genres | Classical, Celtic, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Flute player |
| Years active | 1950s–present |
| Labels | RCA Red Seal, Deutsche Grammophon/Universal Classics |
Sir James Galway, born on December 8, 1939, is a famous Irish flute player from Belfast. People often call him "The Man with the Golden Flute" because he plays so well. He started his career playing in orchestras. Later, he became a very successful solo flute player, performing by himself. In 2005, he won a special award called the Brit Award for his amazing contributions to music.
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Early Life of James Galway
James Galway was born in North Belfast, Northern Ireland. He grew up with one brother. His father played the flute and worked in a shipyard. After the Second World War, his dad cleaned buses at night. James's mother was a pianist and worked in a flax mill.
He was raised in a Presbyterian family. Many people around him played the flute, including friends and family. His uncle taught him to play the flute when he was nine years old. James also joined a fife and drum band. When he was just eleven, he won three flute championships in Belfast on the same day! His first flute was an Irish flute. Later, around age twelve or thirteen, he got a modern Boehm flute.
Education and Music Career
James Galway went to Mountcollyer Secondary Modern School in Belfast. He left school at fourteen. For two years, he worked as an apprentice, learning to repair pianos.
He then studied the flute at famous music schools. He went to the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music in London. He also studied briefly in Paris at the Paris Conservatoire. While in Paris, he asked for lessons from a famous French flute player, Jean-Pierre Rampal. Rampal told him he was already too good to need lessons!
After his studies, James Galway spent fifteen years playing in orchestras. He played with the Sadler's Wells Opera and the Covent Garden Opera. He also performed with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. From 1969 to 1975, he was the main flute player for the famous Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He decided to leave the orchestra to become a solo artist, which surprised his conductor, Herbert von Karajan.
In 1982, James Galway was a special guest on the Andy Williams Early New England Christmas special TV show.
Performing and Recording Music
Sir James Galway plays many types of music. He performs classic pieces and new music written just for him. Composers like Malcolm Arnold and Joaquín Rodrigo have written flute works for him. His album James Galway and The Chieftains in Ireland was very popular in 1987.
He still performs often and is one of the most famous flute players in the world. His music recordings have sold over 30 million copies!
In 1990, he played at The Wall – Live in Berlin concert. This was a huge event where he performed songs by Pink Floyd. He also played on the soundtracks for Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movies. These soundtracks won Academy Awards. In 2008, he was added to the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame. This is a special honor for great musicians.
James Galway plays flutes made by Nagahara and Muramatsu. He also has his own line of flutes called "Galway Spirit Flutes."
Supporting Young Musicians
James Galway is the president of Flutewise. This is a charity that helps young flute players around the world. In 2003, he helped create the Music Education Consortium. This group worked to get better music education in British schools. He is also an Ambassador for the National Foundation for Youth Music.
He received a special honor from the Queen in 1977, becoming an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). In 2001, he was made a knight for his services to music. He was the first wind player ever to receive this honor.
In 2013, James Galway started "First Flute." This is an online series of lessons for anyone learning to play the flute. He received the Gramophone Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
Personal Life
James Galway has been married three times. He has children from his first two marriages. In 1972, he moved to Lucerne, Switzerland, with his second wife, Anna Renggli. For her, he recorded an instrumental version of "Annie's Song" in 1978. This song became very popular in the UK.
He now lives in Meggen, Switzerland, with his third wife, Jeanne Galway. She is also a flute player. They got married in 1984. James and Jeanne often tour together, playing duets. They also teach masterclasses and give lectures.
James Galway is a Christian. He often prays before his concerts. He wears a cross pendant to remind him of his beliefs.
In 1977, James Galway was in an accident. A motorcycle hit him, and he broke his arm and both legs. He had to stay in the hospital for four months. In 2009, he fell down stairs at home and broke his wrist and arm.
His younger brother, George, was a jazz musician. James's nephew, Martin Galway, is known for creating music for computer games in the 1980s.
Selected Recordings
James Galway has released many albums throughout his career. Here are some of his notable recordings:
- Prokofiev & Franck: Sonatas for Flute and Piano (1975)
- Man with the Golden Flute (1976)
- Mozart: The Two Flute Concertos (1977)
- Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (1977)
- Annie's Song and Other Galway Favorites (1979)
- James Galway Plays Bach (1978)
- Sometimes When We Touch (with Cleo Laine; 1980)
- In the Pink (with Henry Mancini; 1984)
- In Ireland (with The Chieftains; 1987)
- The Enchanted Forest – Melodies of Japan (1990)
- Beauty and the Beast: Galway at the Movies (1992)
- The Celtic Minstrel (with The Chieftains; 1995)
- Legends (with Phil Coulter; 1997)
- Tango Del Fuego (1999)
- O'Reilly Street (with Tiempo Libre; 2008)
He also has many compilation albums, including:
- Greatest Hits (1988)
- The Essential James Galway (2006)
- Celebrating 70: A Collection of Personal Favorites (2009)
- The Man with the Golden Flute – The Complete RCA Collection (a large box set with 71 CDs and 2 DVDs, released in 2014)
Media
See also
In Spanish: James Galway para niños
