Bama Flute Fest

Katy Wherry

Katy Wherry is an accomplished flutist who performs and teaches around the globe. As founder of Etude of the Week – the popular online flute community with now over 7,500 members from over 100 countries, Katy has found her purpose in empowering people with a passion for music to discover and pursue their individual musical paths. Her coaching program For the Love of Flute supports flutists in pursuit of their musical goals so that more people feel encouraged to share their passion with the world.

Winner of the Galway Rising Star award, she has been a featured guest artist, performer and masterclass instructor at festivals in China, Brazil, Ecuador and the US. Katy encourages community development and promotes engagement in the arts through her Etude of the Week workshops which have been featured at the largest flute festivals in the country including the Boston Flute Festival, the Marina Piccinini International Masterclasses, the National Flute Association Convention, and many others.

Katy is a regular substitute with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. She also performs solo recitals, chamber concerts, and is highly involved in many recording projects including those promoting music of living composers. She has recorded on multiple albums, video game scores, podcasts, including the LeVar Burton Reads podcast, and more. Katy is stylistically versatile and enjoys playing jazz, rock, electronic and open improvisational music.

Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway

Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway will be joining the Festival virtually via Zoom.

Globally renowned as the supreme interpreter of the classical flute repertoire, Sir James Galway is a consummate performer whose appeal transcends all musical boundaries.  With over 30 million recordings sold worldwide, extensive international touring, frequent television appearances, tireless promotion of the arts and his passionate work in music education, Galway has been a household name for decades.  His uniquely expressive interpretations of the flute literature span an extensive range of genres, from classical masterworks to high profile commissions, and provide the benchmark standard for all modern flautists.  He has also collaborated on film soundtracks such as The Lord of the Rings, and partnered such popular artists as Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Joni Mitchell and Sir Elton John.  The diversity of Galway’s repertoire reflects his impressive musical range, and has served to establish him as an artist of the very highest stature. 

A native of Northern Ireland, Galway began his flute studies in Belfast. At the age of 16, he was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, followed by studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Paris Conservatoire. At the age of 21, he embarked on his orchestral career in London’s major opera and symphonic orchestras. He took up the coveted position of solo flautist with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Herbert von Karajan in 1969, before becoming one of the very first flautists to establish an international solo career in 1975. He has a vast discography with 98 CDs to his name, having enjoyed recording contracts with RCA, Sony Classics and Deutsche Grammophon and most recently the RTE Label, featuring his recording of “Linen and Lace” by Bill Whelan. 

The start of the Global pandemic interrupted his busy international touring schedule, which finds him appearing at major venues and festivals with many of the world’s top orchestras and conductors.  

Since recent events meant an end to touring for the time being, Sir James and Lady Galway have devoted much more of their time to furthering music education online, sharing their wisdom, experience and encouragement during these challenging times with the musical generation of tomorrow. The Galway Flute Academy, Sir James and Lady Galway’s educational platform, enables them to nurture and mentor flutists of all levels through their various programs and keep flute players enthusiastic and focused on getting back to studying and performing as soon as the situation allows (galwayfluteacademy.com).  

Sir James has held teaching residencies at the Royal Irish Academy Dublin, Ireland; The Royal College of Music London and The Birmingham Conservatoire, UK; and The Frost School of Music – University of Miami, USA and continues to be in demand to teach at numerous leading educational venues. 

Galway continues commissioning new works for the flute, publishing articles, flute studies and books including a new publishing collaboration with Southern Music.  To celebrate his legacy and commitment to flute players all over the world, the following flute companies have honored himwith the release of a series of specially commissioned flutes – Nagahara Flutes of Boston (James Galway Nagahara Flute Series); & Wm. S. Haynes Co (James Galway Q Series edition). 

He has played for such dignitaries as Queen Elizabeth II, Pope John Paul II, President William J. Clinton, Vice-President Biden, President George W. Bush, President George H.W. Bush, President Mary McAleese, President Michael D. Higgins, Irish Prime Ministers Enda Kenny & Leo Varadkar, Prince Charles, HRH The Princess Royal, The Empress of Japan, The Queen of Norway, Queen Sofia of Spain, Princess Diana, TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex, HRH The Duke and Duchess of Kent, President Shimon Peres, UK Prime Minister David Cameron.  He has shared the stage with an amazing array of entertainers including Stevie Wonder, Henry Mancini, John Denver, Elton John, The Chieftains, Ray Charles, Joni Mitchell, Jessye Norman, Cleo Laine and Andrea Bocelli. He performed with Pink Floyd in their memorable concert at the Berlin Wall (1990), was part of the Nobel Peace concert in Norway (1990) and performed at the G Seven summit hosted by Queen Elizabeth II in Buckingham Palace (1991). 

He also devotes much of his free time supporting charitable organizations such as SOS, Music Generation, Help Musicians UK, FARA, Future Talent, Youth Music (UK), The Caron Keating Foundation, Lorin Maazel’s Châteauxville Foundation & UNICEF 

Among the many honors and awards for his musical achievements are; the Gramophone 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award; the Grammy President’s Merit Award; Classic Brits Lifetime Achievement Award; The Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame; The National Concert Hall Dublin Lifetime Achievement Award; Honorary Doctorate at Birmingham Conservatoire; Honorary Prince Consort Professor at the Royal College of Music in London, the Kennedy Center Gold Medal in the Arts, 2018 Churchill Award for services to Music and most recently Honorary Doctorate of Music at the University of Miami.  He is also recipient of numerous gold and platinum CD’s.  In December 2009, Sir James was awarded the honour of being made the first Artist Laureate of the Ulster Orchestra.  He has been honoured twice by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with The OBE in 1979 and again in 2001 with a Knighthood for his services to music. Most recently he has been awarded the honour of Commander of the Order of Arts & Letters, one of the main distinctions among the ministerial orders of the French Republic. 

Galway lives with his wife in Switzerland and currently plays on a Platinum ‘Galway’ Nagahara Flute – especially commissioned for him. 

An accomplished flutist, Lady Jeanne Galway continues to grace the international platforms with her virtuosity. One of the leading female flute soloists of the decade, Lady Galway brings to the audience her unique style and elegance.

Prior to the current pandemic, her touring schedule regularly takes her to many of the major cities in the U.S. to perform as soloist with orchestras such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Denver and the National Symphony.  Internationally, she has appeared in the cultural capitals of the world including London, New York, Milan, Rome, Vienna, Salzburg, Zurich, Dublin, Belfast, Tokyo, Beijing and Singapore.

Appearing regularly as the premiere flute duo partner with her husband Sir James Galway, the two delight audiences and bring a rare freshness to the platform, unique in the music world.

In addition to her highly successful career as a soloist, Lady Galway is also an accomplished chamber musician, touring regularly with various chamber ensembles.  A strong advocate for the importance of music education in the school system, Lady Galway has recently taken to public speaking at various International education conferences.

The Galway Flute Academy is Sir James and Lady Galway’s educational platform, where they share their wisdom and experience with the musical generation of tomorrow. The Academy, which includes daily masterclasses, weekend residencies and ten-day flute festivals, gives them such joy to be able to change and enhance the lives of flutists of all levels. To further connect them with students, educators and flute lovers, the Galway’s created First Flute www.firstflute.com, an online teaching series, which allows the student to learn from Sir James anytime, anywhere and takes them on a visual journey into his world of teaching. The latest addition to the Galway flute Academy is the launch of LiveLearn. This allows everyone to connect with them like never before, through live streaming classes, webinars, private lessons and interactive Q&A sessions. www.galwayfluteacademy.com

Lady Galway’s versatile concert engagements also include performances in the presence of The Empress of Japan, HRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex, Princess Diana, TRH The Duke and Duchess of Kent, The Queen of Norway, The Queen of Spain, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, President Shimon Peres, President Mary McAleese, President Michael D. Higgins & Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny.

Lady Galway serves as a patron to the charity Future Talent headed by the Duchess of Kent and Ambassador of The European Brain Council. Her concert engagements are often for fundraising events for UNICEF, SOS, FARA, Marie Curie Cancer Care, The Ireland Funds.

She has recorded to critical acclaim for RCA Victor, Sony BMG Classics and Deutsche Grammophon.  Irish America Magazine awarded Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway the  “Spirit of Ireland” award in recognition for their roles as musical ambassadors. A native of New York and graduate and former member of the Flute Faculty of the New York City’s Mannes College of Music, Lady Galway lives with her husband, Sir James Galway in Switzerland.  She is currently performing on an 18 carat gold Nagahara flute.