Stephen Clark
GERMANY
MEET…
Stephen Clark testimonial
“Every year I’d go through the same routine. I would study the details on the website in great detail informing me of the process to apply for lessons with Sir James at the Galway flute Festival but I would never actually do it. I was too scared. This continued for sometime until I was 28 years old. Then one day, sitting in a hotel room in Singapore at the end of a long tour, I did it. And that was the beginning. From that point onwards my music making and my relationship with the flute changed. It really is not an exaggeration to say that. Over the next 7 years I took lessons with Sir James a couple of times a year both at the summer festival in Switzerland and elsewhere as well as online. I really cannot find the words to fully explain the effect this had on my flute playing. It was a revelation! Fuelled by Sir James’ never ending enthusiasm and immense skill but also incredibly inspired by the other flute players attending the festival, it was always a time of great fun, motivation, development and progress. Sir James and the Galway Flute Festival transformed my playing. I truly believe that. Of course with this new found skill came knowledge and confidence. This in turn translated into more opportunities for me as a musician and so the cycle continued. What Lady Jeanne and Sir James have done with the Galway Flute Festival and Academy is really something very special and unique. With musicians enrolling from around the world who share the same common goal of self-improvement and love of the flute, whatever their current level: amateur, student or professional, the classes both live and online are engaging, educational, enjoyable and fully supportive. I have only one regret……that I didn’t attend sooner!”
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 with Sir James Galway.
Regularly invited to perform at flute festivals across the globe, he has given solo recitals at the Conventions of the British Flute Society, the National Flute Association of America, the Sir James Galway Flute Festival in Switzerland as well as the Florida Flute Convention and Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention in the USA. Solo engagements have taken him to over 120 countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Turkey, Israel, Finland, Canada, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Croatia, Thailand, Germany, Netherlands, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Egypt, China, Libya, Malta, Poland, Lithuania, Japan, Australia, Belgium, France, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Jordan, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Seychelles, Maldives, Malaysia, Brazil, Norway, Iceland, Korea, Peru, Vietnam, Greece, Slovenia and the U.S.A. He has also performed as solo flute player alongside several popular music artists including Annie Lennox, Andrea Bocelli and pop band McFly.
In addition to his performing schedule, Stephen is invited frequently to give masterclasses and workshops for flute players around the world. Stephen is proud to be an Ambassador for the Music for Youth Initiative of Scotland and Honorary President of the Lisburn Flute Orchestra in Northern Ireland- the 1st cross community ensemble of its kind promoting peace and the fight against sectarianism.
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.