Elizabeth Walker – flute

“As perfect a demonstration of the modern wood flute’s capabilities as one could wish to hear”
Review from British Flute Society magazine for Elizabeth’s recording of Telemann’s Fantasias.

Elizabeth studied at the Royal College of Music as a Junior Exhibitioner (where she was awarded the Sally Wainwright woodwind prize in 1985) and as a graduate at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, studying renaissance flute with Nancy Hadden, baroque and eight – keyed classical flute with Stephen Preston and modern flute with Kathryn Lukas. She went on to do a postgraduate study of Early Music at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in The Hague, studying with Wilbert Hazelzet and receiving masterclasses from Barthold Kuijken. During this time as a student, she was involved in a number of recordings for the New London Consort under the Decca label (recorded using her maiden name – Elizabeth Stanbridge) including; Susato Danserye 1551, The Sylvan and Oceanic Delights of Posilipo, Monteverdi Vespers 1610, Locke Psyche, Blow Venus and Adonis and Telemann Water Music.

Elizabeth currently teaches flute and recorder at Wells Cathedral School and at the City of London School for Girls in London and is a regular examiner at graduate and postgraduate level at the music colleges in Great Britain.

In 2008, Elizabeth recorded a solo CD of Telemann’s Fantasias on a modern wooden flute, followed in 2011 with a recording of the J.S.Bach Flute Sonatas with her group ‘Continuum’. To promote these recordings, she has appeared live at the British Flute Society Convention and performed in Festivals throughout England. In 2012, Elizabeth formed a partnership with the pianist Richard Shaw, exploring repertoire from the mid nineteenth century composed specifically for her original Louis Lot Boehm-system flute, dated 1859. They have recorded a promotional video with ‘First Creative’ using Chopin’s original Ignace Pleyel piano from 1848, currently housed at Hatchlands as part of the Cobbe Collection, and given a solo lecture recital as part of the 2012 British Flute Society convention. Elizabeth and Richard were guests on the live arts programme ‘In Tune’ for BBC Radio 3 and plan to continue to bring this rare flute to audiences in France, Holland and America.

Elizabeth has performed with many period and modern orchestras, including the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Classical Opera Company, The English Concert, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the City of London Sinfonia. Elizabeth recorded Telemann Fantasias for flute on her modern, flutemakers guild wooden flute and with her baroque ensemble ‘Continuum’ (flute, cello and harpsichord) she went on to record the Flute Sonatas by J.S. Bach’s, both released under the record label Quartz (www.quartzmusic.com) and are available on ITunes. The group has toured extensively sometimes combining baroque and modern instruments, and has appeared in Music Festivals throughout Great Britain. With Richard Shaw, Elizabeth performs using an original Louis Lot flute from 1859 (no.435) and they have appeared live on BBC Radio 3 and in Flute Conventions in England, Canada, (in 2013 and 2015), America (Chicago 2014) and Switzerland at the first La Cote Flute Festival. She also performs in the Renaissance flute ensemble, Zephyrs with Nancy Hadden, and in ‘Festive Flutes’ a lively modern flute quartet.

Her award winning book Baroque Flute Studies is available at Wonderful Winds (www.wonderfulwinds.com) and has sold successfully throughout the world and a second study book Baroque Studies for modern flute will be available soon. Her arrangement of Four Strauss Lieder for flute and piano is published in America by Alry Publications (www.alrypublications.com). More information about Elizabeth Walker can be found at www.lizwalker.co.uk

Geelvinck Fortepiano Festival 2015:

Elizabeth Walker performs at the Geelvinck Fortepiano Festival 2015, together with Richard Shaw on piano, on Friday 9 October 2015, with a Schubert recital for fortepiano and flute ‘Morceaux de salon’