7 Famous Flutists You Should Know

Marcel Moyse

Marcel Moyse is considered one of the greatest flutists and teachers of the 20th century. At age 14, he played in an orchestra conducted by Rimsky- Korsakov, a member of the famous composer group known as “The Five.” When he was 24 years old, he toured the United States with the great Australian soprano, Nellie Melba. Throughout his European career (1910-1949), he was widely sought after as an orchestral flutist and played under the batons of many famous conductors such as Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Strauss, Straram, Koussevitsky, and Toscanini. He won several Grand Prix du Disques and was awarded the coveted French Legion of Honor. He was also a professor of flute at the Paris and Geneva Conservatories between 1930 and WWII and produced several teaching books through his publisher, Leduc, which are still widely used today.

Jean-Pierre Rampal

Jean-Pierre Rampal was a French Flutists that is best known for his 18k golden flute. If it was not for dedicated flute players such as Jean- Pierre Rampal, solo flutist of the world today would have a difficult time garnering respect. He helped to return the flute’s popularity as a solo classical instrument, which is a position that it had not held since the 18th century. He revived numerous traditional tunes and made them modern, which further helped to catapult him and the flute into fame.

James Galway

James Galway is considered by many seasoned and newbie flute players as one of the greatest flute players and the most famous in the world. Popularly referred to as the man with the golden flute, James Galway has experienced success like no other flute player; he has headlined myriad shows and still continues to tour successfully. He is also credited with his intricate performances that have resulted in over 30 million albums sold. Additionally, he has performed in front of world leaders, presidents, and dignitaries as well as work alongside other major artists such as Andrea Bocelli and Stevie Wonder. Because of his illustrious career, Galway has set a standard for other flute players of the world to aspire to.

Julius Baker

Julius Baker (1915 – 2003) was one of the foremost American orchestral flute players. During the course of five decades, he concertized with several of America's premier orchestral ensembles including the Chicago Symphony and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Julius Baker was well known as a teacher and served as a faculty member at the Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, and Carnegie Mellon University. He made many recordings with conductors such as Bruno Walter and Leonard Bernstein, and played second flute with the Cleveland Orchestra from 1937 - 1941.

Emmanuel Pahud

Emmanuel Pahud is a well-known and respected Swiss flute player that has been studying and playing the flute since he was 6 years old. He acquired orchestral experience with different orchestras but finally settled in 1993 at the Berliner Philharmoniker as a principal flute, where he continued to expand his craft. He also taught at the Geneva Conservatoire before returning to the Berliner Philharmoniker in 2002. He has won numerous awards for his flute playing, including the remarkable Chevalier dansl’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres which was awarded by the French government for his role in music.

Jeanne Baxtresser

Jeanne Baxtresser mastered the flute at an early age, making her orchestral debut with the Minnesota Orchestra at only age 14. As such, she is highly regarded in her field and is considered one of the best female flutists in the world. Owing to her masterful skill, Jeanne has served as the principal flutist of many world-famous orchestras including the New York Philharmonic Orchestra for 15 years.

Georges Barrere

It would be impossible to talk about world-famous flutists without including Georges Barrère in the conversation. Barrère helped to shape how modern flutists perceive the instrument. Therefore, he holds a prominent position in history as one of the greatest. Barrère lived between 1876 and 1944, where he helped to set a standard for American flute players. He revolutionized how the flute should be played with landmark works such as Density 21.5 by Edgard Varèse and the Poem of Charles Tomlinson Griffes.