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 Fame & Fortune: Sir James Galway
Classical flutist invests only in his own talent
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With more than 30 million albums sold to date, flutist
Sir James Galway is the most televised and recorded classical music
artist today. A native of Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sir James studied
at the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music
and Drama in London, as well as the Paris Conservatory. He started
his career as an orchestral player, with stints in the Sadler's
Wells Opera Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, the
BBC Symphony Orchestra (where he played piccolo), the London Symphony
Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra where he was principal
flute. In 1969, he was appointed principal flute of the Berlin Philharmonic,
then considered the greatest orchestra in the world. In 1975, Galway
launched his career as a soloist.
Galway is no musical snob: He performs everything
from Bach to Corigliano, Stevie Wonder to Chick Corea, Elton John
to the Chieftains. He also performed on albums with Eric Clapton
and John Lennon. He can be heard on the soundtrack, "Lord of
the Rings: Return of the King."
Born in Northern Ireland, Galway has been honored
in many ways: an Order of the British Empire and knighthood from
Queen Elizabeth II, Musical America's musician of the year, record
of the year from Billboard and Cash Box magazines, as well as the
Grand Prix du Disque. He even has an award-winning rose named after
him.
Galway's latest work is a new CD, "Ich War ein
Berliner," (I Was a Berliner) with the Berlin Philharmonic
Orchestra was released by Deutsche Grammophon Feb. 14. A second
CD with the Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of famed conductor
Herbert von Karajan, will feature Galway solos.
In Bankrate's first interview with a knight, we spoke
to Sir James by telephone at his home in Switzerland.
Bankrate: You began your
career doing ensemble work. How did you find the courage to leave
the safety of an orchestral paycheck and venture out as a soloist?
Sir James Galway: Well,
I had two safety blankets in place. First, I taught at Eastman Conservatory
in Rochester, N.Y. But we had a little misunderstanding. They told
me I could take off all the time I need for concertizing. Their
idea was that I take the train to New York on weekends and record
a jingle. My idea was a six-week tour. So, I left. Second, I was
so well-known, even before I joined Berlin, that I knew that I could
go back to England and have a lucrative career in any orchestra
there. But, Berlin was the most lucrative.
Bankrate: You grew up
poor in Belfast. Did that affect your career choices, make you immune
to the ups and downs?
Sir James Galway: It does
make you immune if you're born really poor. My children expect a
different lifestyle; I was content to have shoes with no holes.
They want special shoes that cost $300. I have one son who's self-sufficient.
I have another who is going through a divorce. A lawyer called me
and offered to represent him if I would pay. Can you believe it?
I didn't pay. Now, divorces here don't cost as much as they do in
the U.S., but it was the principle of the thing. I figure, they
got themselves into this, they can get themselves out. We always
spoiled them: They went to the best restaurants. They went straight
from a plane to a limousine. If my mom and dad had seen me coming
out of a limousine, they would have thought I stole it. But, they
did live to see me in the Berlin Philharmonic. My mom was funny,
though; she kept asking when I was going to give up "all that
running around and come home to a nice job in England." My
parents would have thought my house was rented, they would not have
believed that I own this place.
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