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Gareth McLearnon
Flute

  • D.O.B. 17-Jan-1980
    email: gareth.mclearnon@gmail.com
    phone: +33 (0)7 67 26 67 33
    web: www.garethmclearnon.com
    Nationality: Ireland & UK Passports
    Languages: English (Native) French (C1-C2) German (A1 - undertaking structured study) Russian (A1-A2)

  • Gareth McLearnon is an International flutist, published and prolific composer/arranger, pedagogue, and artistic leader with extensive experience in solo performance, chamber music, orchestral work, recording artistry, higher education teaching, with many international festival invitations and an entrepreneurial approach towards guiding the next generation of flutists. Following intensive professional activity in orchestral, theatrical, recording, and educational contexts during the first decade of his career, his work has developed into a sustained global presence combining performance, composing, direction, recording, pedagogy, and artistic leadership

    • 1999-2003: BMus (Hons) Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London

    • Professors: Averil Williams, Samuel Coles, Ian Clarke, Michael Cox

    • 2003: Ian Fleming Award – Musicians Benevolent Fund

    • 2003: Countess of Munster Musical Scholarship Award

  • 1997–1999
    Deputy Flute – Ulster Orchestra, Northern Ireland

    2001-2019
    Deputy Flute/Piccolo/Alto Flute/Ethnic Flutes in major London West End productions including – The Beautiful Game, Oliver!, The Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz, The Lion King, Miss Saigon, Wicked, Love Never Dies, Les Miserables, and UK/international Tours

    2003
    Illness Cover - 2nd Flute (Half Season) – Southbank Sinfonia

    2003–2021
    Freelance orchestral engagements in London and throughout the UK (symphony, chamber, and recording projects)

    2005
    Full Member – Southbank Sinfonia
    90 Concerts, UK & International Tours, Operas, Ballets, Contemporary Music Premieres, Solo Concerto, Workshops, Community Outreach Projects

    2009–Present
    Principal Flute – Heritage Orchestra
    UK & International Tours, Performances & Recordings with Dua Lipa, Elton John, SPARKS; Jane Birkin; Ben Folds; GOLDIE; Seu Jorge; Tim Minchin; Ibiza Classics; BBC Proms performances with Jamie Cullum, Jules Buckley, Pete Tong & Scott Walker. Concerts at Royal Albert Hall, Barbican, Royal Festival Hall, The O2 Arena, Recordings in Abbey Road and AIR Studios.

    2016–2021
    Deputy Flute/Piccolo/Alto/Bass/Contrabass Flute – London Contemporary Orchestra - Concerts, Broadcasts, BBC Prom, Film & TV Sessions

    2016–Present
    Principal Flute – Voces8 Foundation Orchestra - Concerts , Broadcasts and Multiple DECCA Classics recordings

    2018
    Deputy Flute/Piccolo – London Symphony Orchestra - five concerts in total

    2018
    Deputy Principal Flute – Orchestra of St John’s

    2021
    Principal Flute (Enescu Festival) – East-West Chamber Orchestra

  • 2003-2005
    Making Music UK Artist – Recitals with Pianist throughout the UK

    2003-2019
    Concordia Foundation International Artist – Concerts as Soloist in London and throughout the UK, Europe, Africa, China including Mozart D major Concerto with Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in Shanghai Music Hall, Muthaiga Club Recital, Kenya, Queen Elizabeth Hall gala performance, Solo Recitals in St James, Piccadilly, St Paul’s Covent Garden and St Martin-in-the-Fields among many others.

    2013-2021
    Concerto Soloist with Moscow Soloists dir. Yuri Bashmet – concerto soloist in Samara, Chapayevsk (x3), Yaroslavl, Khabarovsk, Sochi (x2), Chelyabinsk.

    2019
    Concerto Soloist with Samara Philharmonic Orchestra

    2019
    Solo Recital - Florianka Hall, Krakow

    2026
    Künstlerhaus Boswil - Switzerland Soloist and Chamber Music in Gala Concert

    2026 - upcoming
    Concerto Soloist at the National Flute Association Convention – premiering Taylor Scott Davis Concertino for Flute & String Orchestra

  • 2007/08/14/16/18/22/24/26
    National Flute Association Convention – USA
    Solo Recitals, Solo Performances, Classes, Flute Ensemble, Workshops, Panels, 2026 Concerto Soloist

    2007/09/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/22/23/24/25/26
    Adams Flute Festival - Netherlands
    Solo Recitals, Workshops, Masterclasses, Flute Ensemble

    2010/12/14/25
    British Flute Society Convention - Manchester, London, Birminham, UK
    Solo Recital, Workshops, Flute Ensemble

    2013/14
    Sir James Galway Flute Festivals - Weggis Switzerland & Athens GA
    Solo Performance, Workshops, Flute Ensemble

    2015/17/19
    Australian Flute Festival - Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney
    Solo Recitals, Masterclass, Workshop, Adjudication, Flute Orchestra Direction

    2015/18/21/22/23/24/25
    Polish Flute Meeting - Katowice
    Solo Recitals, Performances in Gala Concerts, Masterclasses, Workshops, Flute Ensemble

    2016/17/18
    Portuguese Flute Association Festival (AFLAUP)
    Solo Recitals, Masterclasses, Workshops, Flute Ensemble Direction

    2016/18/23/25
    Spanish Flute Convention - Bilbao, Valencia, Malaga, Madrid
    Solo Recital, Masterclass, Workshops, Flute Ensemble

    2019
    Campos do Jordão Festival - Brazil
    Solo Recital, Masterclasses, Orchestral Sectionals, Chamber Music Performances & Coaching

    2019
    Taishan International Music Festival - Dalian, China
    Gala Performance, Masterclass, Workshops, Flute Ensemble

    2019/22
    Flautissimo Festival - Rome
    Gala Performance & Flute Ensemble

    2019/24/25
    Luxembourg international Flute & Piano Forum
    Gala Performance, Masterclass, Workshops, Flute Ensemble

    2020/22
    FlojtFest & Norsk Flute Forum
    Solo Recitals, Masterclass, Workshop, Flute Ensemble

    2022/24/25/26
    Finnish Flute Festival - Sibelius Academy/Helsinki Music Centre - Tampere Flute Festival
    Solo Recitals, Masterclass, Workshop, Competition Adjudication, Flute Ensemble

    2023/24
    Deutsche Gesellschaft für Flöte - Convention & Festival - Freiburg, Saarbrucken
    Gala Performance, Masterclass, Workshops, Flute Ensemble

    2024
    Dorian Music Flute Festival - Taipei, Taiwan
    Gala Performance, Masterclass, Workshops, Flute Ensemble

    2024
    Austrian Flute Festival - Vienna & Syrinx Flute Festival - Wolfurt
    Solo Performance, Workshops, Flute Ensemble

    2025
    La Traversière Convention - Paris
    Performance, Workshops, Flute Ensemble - featured composer

    2025
    Tallinn Flute Festival - Estonia
    Gala Performance, Masterclass, Workshops, Flute Ensemble

    2025
    Puerto Rico Flute Festival
    Gala Performance, Masterclass, Workshops, Competition Adjudication, Flute Ensemble

    2025/26
    International Flute Seminar Bruges
    Gala Performance, Masterclass, Workshops, Flute Ensemble

    2025
    Croatian Flute Festival
    Gala Performance, Masterclass, Workshops, Flute Ensemble

    2026
    South African international Flute Festival - Stellenbosch & Pretoria
    Gala Performance, Masterclass, Workshops, Flute Ensemble

  • 2013
    The Colburn School, Los Angeles, CA, USA
    Flute Class of Jim Walker

    2015/17/19/20/24
    Yale School of Music, New Haven, CT, USA
    Flute Classes of Ransom Wilson & Tara Helen O’Connor

    2016
    Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow, UK
    Flute Classes of Helen Brew, Katherine Bryan, Ruth Morley, Yvonne Robertson

    2016/23
    Hamburg Hochschule für Musik & Theater
    Flute Class of Jürgen Franz & Hans Udo Heinzmann

    2016
    Beijing Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, China
    Flute Class of Guoliang Han

    2017
    Stavanger College of Music, Stavanger, Norway
    Flute Class of Vidar Austvik

    2017
    Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo, Norway
    Flute Class of Tom Ottar Andreissen

    2017/21
    Akademia Muzyczna Krakow, Krakow, Poland
    Flute Class of Wieslaw Suruło

    2017
    Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London, UK
    Flute Class of Philippa Davies, Ian Clarke, and Sarah Newbold

    2018
    Gnessin Academy of Music, Moscow, Russia
    Flute Class of Vladimir Kudrya

    2018
    Zagreb Academy of Music, Croatia
    Flute Class of Renata Penezic

    2018
    St John’s University, Taipei, Taiwan
    Flute Class of Chai Fen Tsai

    2018
    Taipei National University of the Arts, Taipei, Taiwan
    Flute Class of Jen Pin Lin

    2018
    Ljubljana Conservatory of Music, Slovenia
    Flute Class of Alenka Zupan

    2018/19
    Gnessin School of Music, Moscow, Russia
    Flute Class of Olga Ivusheikova

    2019
    Central School of Music, Moscow, Russia
    Flute Class of Sergei Zhuravel

    2019
    Royal Danish Academy of Music, Copenhagen, Denmark
    Flute Class of Ulla Miilmann

    2019
    Jerusalem Music Centre, Israel

    2019/20/21/24
    Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
    Flute Class of Carla Rees

    2019/25
    mdw - University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Austria
    Flute Class of Wally Hase

    2020/25
    Manhattan School of Music, NYC, NY, USA
    Flute Class of Linda Chesis

    2023
    Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA
    Flute Class of Susanna Loewy

    2023
    Boyer College of Music, Philadelphia, PA, USA
    Flute Class of Prima Kesselmann

    2023
    Penn State University, State College, PA, USA
    Flute Class of Naomi Seidman

    2024
    Longy School of Music, Boston, MA, USA
    Flute Class of Allison Parramore

    2024
    Sarajevo Conservatory of Music, Sarajevo, Bosnia
    Flute Class of Mirna Mlikota

    2025
    Juilliard School, NYC, NY, USA
    Flute Class of Carol Wincenc

    2025
    Conservatoire de la Ville de Luxembourg, Luxembourg
    Flute Class of Aneila Stoeffels & Carlo Jans

    2025
    Hochschule für Musik Münster, Germany
    Flute Class of Eyal Ein Habar

  • 2018
    British Flute Society Young Artist Competition, UK

    2018
    Katowice Flute Competition, Poland

    2020/22
    Towarnicki Flute Competition, Poznan & Warsaw, Poland

    2022
    Pappoutsakis Flute Competition, Boston, MA, USA

    2023
    Cimarosa International Flute Competition, Aversa, Italy

    2024
    Tampere Flute Festival Young Artist Competition, Tampere, Finland

    2024/25
    Dutch International Flute Competition - Pre-Selection & Bachelor Category

    2025
    Puerto Rico Flute Festival Young Artist Competition

    2024
    Concours Maxence Larrieu - Artistic Program Jury

  • 2016–2022
    Sony Interactive Entertainment - Horizon series (Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West, Horizon: Call of the Mountain and related titles)
    Solo flute - original soundtrack recordings (Abbey Road Studios, AIR Studios, remote sessions). Franchise sales exceeding 30 million copies worldwide.

    2017–2025
    Voces8 & Voces8 Foundation Orchestra
    Commercial, album release and broadcast recordings as soloist and Principal Orchestral Flutist (DECCA Classics and associated labels).

    2022
    L’appassionata Chamber Orchestra - Giovanni Sollima: Contrafactus for Flute & Strings - Salle Maffeiana, Verona
    Commercial recording release.

    2016–2025
    Heritage Orchestra
    Studio and live recording and television projects including Disney, Ibiza Classics, Dua Lipa Live at the Royal Albert Hall, and GRAMMY-nominated RAYE at the Royal Albert Hall (AIR Studios, Abbey Road Studios, on-location recording).

    2016–2026
    London Contemporary Orchestra / English Session Orchestra / Hillary Skewes
    Recording sessions for film, television and commercial productions including Alien: Covenant, Magdalene, Ludwig (BBC), Wild Mountain Thyme, Carmella, Satisfaction, and numerous library music projects (AIR Studios, Abbey Road Studios, remote recording).

    2017
    Karl Jenkins - Symphonic Adiemus
    Orchestral piccolo

    2019
    Sonixinema - BRUTE FLUTE
    Eponymous performer on internationally distributed contrabass flute sample library, featured on numerous international film, television and video-game soundtracks.

    2016–2019
    Spitfire Audio - Sample Libraries (including Bernard Herrmann Composer Toolkit, EVO Winds, Albion Neo, Albion Orchestral Selects and others)
    Solo and ensemble flute, alto flute, bass flute, contrabass recordings for commercial orchestral sample libraries.

  • Composer and arranger of original works and published arrangements for flute and flute ensemble, widely performed at international festivals and conservatoires, including the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Cadogan Hall, the Concertgebouw, and the Rachmaninoff Hall.

    2008
    Round Ireland with a Flute for Flute & Piano
    Published by Theodore Presser

    2010
    Musical Moments for Flute/Clarinet/Saxophone & Piano
    Published by Trinity College of Music Press

    2010
    The Flutewise Theme for Graded Flute Ensemble
    Premiere - Flutewise Academy, Purcell School, London, UK

    2012
    Flutewise Fanfare for Graded Flute Ensemble
    Premiere - Flutewise Live, LSO St Luke’s, London, UK

    2013
    Single Yellow Line for Graded Flute Ensemble
    Premiere - Sir James Galway Flute Festival, Weggis, Switzerland

    2015
    Lamasery Jigsaw for Flute Orchestra
    Premiere - Australian Flute Festival, Canberra, Australia

    2017
    Cosmic Dawn for Flute Ensemble
    Premiere - Australian Flute Festival, Brisbane, Australia

    2019
    Edge Effect for Flute Ensemble
    Premiere - Australian Flute Festival, Sydney, Australia

    2022
    DEEP DISH for Flute Ensemble
    Premiere - NFA Convention, Chicago, IL, USA

    2023
    Steel City for Flute Ensemble
    Commissioned by Flute Community of Pittsburgh
    Premiere - Slippery Rock Honors Flute Ensemble Day, PA, USA

    2023
    Three Sheets to the Wind for Flute Quartet
    Commissioned by Dan Parasky
    Premiere - Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    2023
    Fondant Forward for Low Flute Ensemble
    Commissioned by Birmingham Flute Choir
    Premiere - Birmingham, UK

    2023
    AFFanfare for Flute Ensemble
    Commissioned by Australian Flute Festival
    Premiere - Australian Flute Festival, Sydney, Australia

    2024
    A Peace of the Acton for Flute Ensemble
    Commissioned by Wm. S. Haynes Co., Boston
    Premiere - NFA Convention, San Antonio, TX, USA

    2024
    Adams Funk Fanfare for Low Flute Ensemble
    Commissioned by ADAMS Music Centre
    Premiere - Adams Low Flute Festival, Ittervoort, NL

    2025
    HOT METZ for Junior Flute Ensemble
    Commissioned by Nathalie Lamour
    Premiere - Metz, France

    2025
    Pick Pic Picc for Piccolo Trio
    Commissioned by Peter Verhoyen
    Premiere - NFA Convention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    2025
    Aurora for Flute Ensemble
    Commissioned by the Finnish & Australian Flute Festivals
    Dual Premiere - Helsinki, Finland & Sydney, Australia

    2025
    Roots for Flute & Piano
    Premiere - Finnish Flute Festival, Sibelius Academy, Helsinki, Finland

    2025
    Fourmies-dabble for Junior Flute Ensemble
    Commissioned by La Volière Ensemble
    Premiere - Fourmies, France

    UPCOMING PREMIERES

    2026
    Seconds on State Street for Flute Ensemble
    Commissioned by The Chicago Flute Club
    World Premiere - Chicago, IL, USA - March 21
    European Premiere - Barbican Centre, London, UK - March 26

    2026
    Delightfully Naughty for Piccolo & Piano
    Commissioned by Peter Verhoyen
    Premiere - NFA Convention, Portland, OR, USA - August 8

  • 2005–2014
    Artist-in-Residence - Pearl Flutes (Japan-based flute manufacturer)
    Artistic ambassador and consultant, product testing, product and headjoint development and instrument evaluation.

    2014–2026
    European Artist-in-Residence - Wm. S. Haynes Co. (world’s oldest continuously operating flute manufacturer)
    Artistic and technical consultancy. Guiding product and headjoint development; advising on design, materials, and specification; testing and evaluating new instruments; liaising with specialist flute dealers worldwide.