William Bennett (flautist)
William Bennett, OBE ( born February 7, 1936 in London ) is a British classical flutist.
Youth and Education
William Bennett grew up in an artistic home and began playing the flute at the age of twelve years. At the Guildhall School of Music, he received ( as later his three years younger colleague James Galway) classes with Geoffrey Gilbert. In 1958 he won a scholarship from the French government, which enabled him, in Paris, among others to study with Jean -Pierre Rampal. At the end of his studies, Bennett won an award at the International Music Competition in Geneva. In the 1960s, he first took lessons with Marcel Moyse; in the 1970s he also attended master classes with this.
Career
After working with the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra and the Sadlers Wells Orchestra was Bennett solo flutist with the London Symphony Orchestra. Later, he worked alongside his work as a soloist and as a member of renowned orchestras as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. In his solo career, devoted and dedicated to Bennett especially the ensemble performance, including as a regular guest musicians of the Melos Ensemble. He has over 300 recordings from the solo repertoire of the flute played, including concertos by Vivaldi and Mozart, the B minor suite by JS Bach and Mozart's Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra.
Flute
Developed together with British flute maker Albert Cooper and some other flutists Bennett improved scale, the Bennett -Cooper scale. He also invented a flute, whose range is a minor third is deeper than normal ( ie to small a), the so-called flauto di bassetto. This flute he played among others the D major concerto by Mozart one. Bennett 's work was influenced flute manufacturer Altus. He currently plays an Altus flute of " Limited " series with an open G-sharp key.
Teaching
Bennett taught from 1983 for several years at the Musikhochschule Freiburg, and (to date) at the Royal Academy of Music.