About Grey's Flute Offerings
Grey Larsen offers concert performances, master classes, lecture-demonstrations, seminars, residencies, curtain talks and private lessons. He also demonstrates the hosting of traditional Irish music "sessions", the social institution that more than any other keeps the Irish musical tradition alive.
Grey Larsen is at home on half a dozen different instruments and in several musical styles. He is also an award winning record producer, a film composer, the Music Editor of Sing Out! Magazine, a veteran performer and the father of three children.
Letters of Recommendation and Quotes
- Kathryn Lukas, Professor of Flute, Indiana University School of Music
- Jay Unger, Film Composer, Ken Burns' Civil War; Director Fiddle, and Dance Workshops, Ashokan NY
- Matthew Allen, Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology; Director, Music in General Education, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK
- Sharon Kahan, Flute Professor, University of Western Ontario, Principal Flute Stratford Shakespearean Festival Orchestra, Orchestra London Canada
- Jim Magill, Director, the Swannanoa Gathering Folk Arts Workshops, Warren-Wilson College, Swannanoa NC
- New Mexico Daily, Albuquerque, NM
- Seamus Connolly, Director, Music Program, Department of Irish Studies, Boston College
- Dr. Valerie L. Watts, Assistant Professor of Flute, University of Oklahoma School of Music, Norman OK
- The Spectator,
Raleigh/Durham, NC
It is with great pleasure that I write to you about Grey Larsen. His fine reputation as an Irish flute player here in Bloomington led me to ask him to take part in a Flute Festival held at Indiana University last February. He inspired our students with his playing and then led an experimental workshop to see how "classically trained" flutists would be able to learn one of his traditional melodies by rote. With much patience and humor, Grey was able to impart the rhythm, notes and spirit of the melody to our interested, but straight musicians. They even succeeded at adding ornamentation, thereby getting an insight into the process by which centuries of music has been passed on, generation to generation, without the help (or hindrance) of written music. He was also willing and able to fill in a vast quantity of historical data about the music for which he has an unlimited passion. With anecdotes and photographs he led us into his world of traditional musicians and left us with the desire for more. We hope he will make a return visit as soon as possible.
I think that any group of musicians with an interest in this aspect of America's traditional music or any flute players, modern or traditional, would benefit from a concert/workshop or lecture/recital given by Grey Larsen.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Kathryn Lukas
Professor of Flute
Indiana
University School of Music
Grey Larsen is a superb player of Irish flute repertoire
with an
extraordinary ability to both inspire and instruct students of all
ages and
musical backgrounds. Through his musical insights and effective
approach to teaching, students gain quick access to the unique sounds,
techniques and repertoire of this beautiful and deeply moving musical idiom.
Jay Ungar
Film Composer, Ken Burns' Civil War
Director, Fiddle & Dance Workshops
Ashokan Field Campus of the
State University of New York
Olivebridge, NY 12491
I have known Grey Larsen for the last four years. During that time I've had the opportunity to observe him as an audience member, work with him as a performer, hire him as a concert producer, and get to know him as a friend. I can't think of any musical presenter in any field who gives a consistently higher quality of presentation than Grey. He is a consummate performing artist and composer with a long and distinguished track record on the American folk music scene, a caring and capable teacher, a serious researcher, and is totally dedicated to his work. Last autumn, we asked Grey to come and perform as a featured artist in our "Masala" World Music Series at the University of Oklahoma, During his visit he also gave lecture demonstrations in two sections of our Introduction to World Music class, and a master class on Irish concert flute for our group of about twenty undergraduate flute majors. The concert received rave reviews from all parties , thrilling a house of about 800 people (who mobbed the CD table and bought almost $1,000 of CDs afterwards, the most by far any artist has yet sold in our series); the class visits and the flute master class were also great successes.
Grey, then, is an extremely versatile artist and teacher who will enrich the experience of all those he comes in contact with, and I recommend him to your consideration heartily and without reservation. I might add that he also conducts himself in a businesslike, totally professional, manner, which makes him just that much more of a pleasure to work with. If you would like further recommendation of Mr. Larsen, I would be happy to correspond via telephone or email.
Sincerely,
Matthew Allen
Assistant Professor of
Ethnomusicology
Director, Music in General Education
University of
Oklahoma
Norman OK
I am a classical/orchestral flutist currently on faculty at the University of Western Ontario. In addition to my teaching duties, I am the principal flute of the Stratford Shakespearian Festival Orchestra, play flute and piccolo with Orchestra London Canada, and regularly perform as a recitalist and chamber musician in addition to my other freelancing activities.
I recently developed an interest in the Irish flute, and after researching who might best guide me in this endeavour, Grey Larsen's name emerged as one of the most respected performers and teachers of our time. I was fortunate to receive a study grant through the Stratford Festival to spend a period of time in intensive study with Mr. Larsen.
What ensued was one of the most musically inspiring few days of my career. Grey's performances exemplify a generosity of spirit and intelligence which are a true rarity and delight in any art form. He is a patient, impassioned, and articulate teacher, and was able to convey the traditional style in a clear and structured manner. I must also add that he is a warm and wonderful human being, and this is at the heart of all that he does.
I have had the good fortune to have had contact with many brilliant musicians from all over the world in my career. Grey Larsen is among the best of them. His very fine international reputation is well deserved, indeed.
Sincerely,
Sharon Kahan
Flute Professor, University of Western
Ontario
Principal Flute Stratford Shakespearean Festival Orchestra
Orchestra London Canada
Grey Larsen has taught flute and tinwhistle at Celtic Week of the Swannanoa Gathering for three years as a member of one of the finest teaching staffs in the folk world. We commonly rotate staff after a year or two, but Grey's teaching skill and concern for his students, not to mention his personal warmth and vituosic performances have made him a staff favorite. I heartily recommend him as a knowledgeable and effective musical communicator and as a performing artist of the highest caliber.
Jim Magill
Director, the Swannanoa Gathering Folk
Arts Workshops
Warren-Wilson College
Swannanoa NC
"A virtuoso on many instruments . . . his flute playing is positively spellbinding."
New Mexico Daily
Albuquerque, NM
"Grey is one of the few players who has mastered an older style of playing which has been heard in East County Galway, Ireland. It is a style that is moving, expressive and smooth; it is intricate and complex, yet not frenzied. Grey has spent a great deal of time learning and absorbing this music directly from Irish immigrants in his home country and has also learned a great deal from older players on his musical journeys to Ireland. It is refreshing and gratifying to hear such a true understanding of the soul of traditional Irish music in the playing of an American-born musician."
Seamus Connolly
Director, Music Program
Department of Irish Studies
Boston College
"You do not realize how inspiring you were to the students here. I had a couple of students come into their lessons ... and express their desire to seriously pursue studying the Irish flute tradition."
Dr. Valerie L. Watts
Assistant Professor of Flute
University of Oklahoma School of Music, Norman OK
"His flute playing could be classified as exceptionally exceptional."
The Spectator
Raleigh/Durham, NC
Selected Sponsors of Flute Programs
Indiana University School of Music
Fab Feb
Flute Fest
Bloomington, IN
1998
Oklahoma University School of Music
Norman,
OK
1997
Warren-Wilson College
The Swannanoa
Gathering Celtic Music Week
Swannanoa, NC
1996, 1997, 1998
Davis and Elkins College
Augusta Heritage
Workshops
Elkins, WV
1978, 1979, 1987, 1988
Private Teaching through a grant from the Stratford
Shakespearean Festival Orchestra
Stratford, Ontario, Canada
1997
Private Teaching through a grant from the Government
of Québec
1995
Fiddle & Dance Workshops
Ashokan Field
Campus of the State University of New York
Olivebridge, NY
1982,
1992, 1993
Country Dance and Song Society of America
Pinewoods Camp, Plymouth, MA
1991
John C. Campbell Folk School
Brasstown, NC
1996
Music at Meadowlark
Washington, M
1997