Stephen Preston
Encyclopedia
Stephen Preston is an English flautist
specialising in period performance of baroque
and classical music on original instruments. Additionally he plays modern flute and choreographs historical forms of dance
.
at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
; he was a founder of the Galliard Trio (with Trevor Pinnock
, harpsichord
and Anthony Pleeth
, cello
), whose London debut was in 1966. He developed an interest in historical music performance practice and taught himself to play the baroque and classical flute (then generally known as the flauto traverso), later going on to be a founder of many of London's leading period-instrument ensembles in the 1970s. He has had a prolific recording career, recording most of the major baroque works for flute, including Bach
's complete flute sonatas with Trevor Pinnock
, orchestral suite in B minor with The English Concert
and Vivaldi's op.10 flute concertos with The Academy of Ancient Music. More recently, He worked as an advisor on historical performance practices with one of America's most eminent chamber ensembles, the New Century Saxophone Quartet on their highly praised recording of Bach
's Art of Fugue.
From 1981–2001, he worked as a choreographer, principally of historical dance in opera. He was director of two dance
companies, one of which explored the relationship between contemporary and historical performance practices.
He lectures, teaches and coaches at some of Britain's leading music academies, the Royal College of Music
, the Royal Academy of Music
, the Royal Northern College of Music
, Trinity College of Music
and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
, as well as giving regular master classes in the United States
.
He now divides his time between research, teaching and performing. He is engaged in research into developing new techniques and improvisational forms based on birdsong
, for which he received a Ph.D. From this work he has created a new musical language – ecosonics. An example of ecosonics can be heard in the BBC
Singers commission The Soft Complaining Flute, by composer Edward Cowie, written for flute and 6 soprano
s. He now regularly performs in a baroque-flute duo (with Amara Guitry), Nodneeya. They perform "haunting Native American
melodies; virtuosic pieces from the 19th century; authentic period arrangements of well-loved works by Mozart; and unique improvisations based on the 'duetting' songs of birds".
References to Stephen Preston as a flute player can be found in the New Grove, J. Solum: The Early Flute and A. Powell: The Flute.
Flautist
A flautist or flutist is a musician who plays an instrument in the flute family. See List of flautists.The choice of "flautist" versus "flutist" is the source of dispute among players of the instrument...
specialising in period performance of baroque
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
and classical music on original instruments. Additionally he plays modern flute and choreographs historical forms of dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
.
Biography and Career
His professional career began while studying the fluteFlute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
; he was a founder of the Galliard Trio (with Trevor Pinnock
Trevor Pinnock
Trevor David Pinnock CBE is an English conductor, harpsichordist, and occasional organist and pianist.He is best known for his association with the period-performance orchestra The English Concert which he helped found and directed from the keyboard for over 30 years in baroque and early classical...
, harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
and Anthony Pleeth
Anthony Pleeth
Anthony Pleeth, born in 1948 in London, is an English cellist, specialising in the historically informed performance of music of the 18th and 19th centuries on period instruments.-Biography and career:...
, cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
), whose London debut was in 1966. He developed an interest in historical music performance practice and taught himself to play the baroque and classical flute (then generally known as the flauto traverso), later going on to be a founder of many of London's leading period-instrument ensembles in the 1970s. He has had a prolific recording career, recording most of the major baroque works for flute, including Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
's complete flute sonatas with Trevor Pinnock
Trevor Pinnock
Trevor David Pinnock CBE is an English conductor, harpsichordist, and occasional organist and pianist.He is best known for his association with the period-performance orchestra The English Concert which he helped found and directed from the keyboard for over 30 years in baroque and early classical...
, orchestral suite in B minor with The English Concert
The English Concert
The English Concert is a baroque orchestra playing on period instruments based in London. Founded in 1972 and directed from the harpsichord by Trevor Pinnock for 30 years, it is now directed by harpsichordist Harry Bicket...
and Vivaldi's op.10 flute concertos with The Academy of Ancient Music. More recently, He worked as an advisor on historical performance practices with one of America's most eminent chamber ensembles, the New Century Saxophone Quartet on their highly praised recording of Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
's Art of Fugue.
From 1981–2001, he worked as a choreographer, principally of historical dance in opera. He was director of two dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
companies, one of which explored the relationship between contemporary and historical performance practices.
He lectures, teaches and coaches at some of Britain's leading music academies, the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
, the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
, the Royal Northern College of Music
Royal Northern College of Music
The Royal Northern College of Music is a music school in Manchester, England. It is located on Oxford Road in Chorlton on Medlock, at the western edge of the campus of the University of Manchester and is one of four conservatories associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music...
, Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music is one of the London music conservatories, based in Greenwich. It is part of Trinity Laban.The conservatoire is inheritor of elegant riverside buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, designed in part by Sir Christopher Wren...
and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
, as well as giving regular master classes in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
He now divides his time between research, teaching and performing. He is engaged in research into developing new techniques and improvisational forms based on birdsong
Birdsong
Birdsong may refer to:* Bird vocalization, the sounds of birds* Birdsong , a 1993 novel by Sebastian Faulks* Birdsong, Arkansas, USA* Birdsong , a channel on the UK Digital One digital radio multiplex...
, for which he received a Ph.D. From this work he has created a new musical language – ecosonics. An example of ecosonics can be heard in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Singers commission The Soft Complaining Flute, by composer Edward Cowie, written for flute and 6 soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
s. He now regularly performs in a baroque-flute duo (with Amara Guitry), Nodneeya. They perform "haunting Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
melodies; virtuosic pieces from the 19th century; authentic period arrangements of well-loved works by Mozart; and unique improvisations based on the 'duetting' songs of birds".
References to Stephen Preston as a flute player can be found in the New Grove, J. Solum: The Early Flute and A. Powell: The Flute.