Artist Bio
Ian Clarke (UK)
"Ian Clarke Within. This is an amazing recording." "Clarke's playing is incredible in every way." "Flutists who purchase the CD will want to own the music as well."
- Flute Talk (CD Review January 2006)
"Ian Clarke 'Within' Marvelous and dramatic flute recordings by increasingly recognized star performer Ian. His sweeping soundscapes evoke the beauty of East Africa and capture the most intimate emotion. An album in search of its visual counterpart: Brilliant, brave, moving."
- Musician (CD Review Spring 2006)
"A stunning performance by player composer Ian Clarke....a true master of his art"
- British Flute Society
"Zoom Tube is a simply astonishing piece. .... Ian's genius lies in his ability to incorporate extended flute techniques for the flute in a way that are thoroughly powerful, natural and accessible musically"
- programme notes by Wissam Boustany
IAN CLARKE is acknowledged as one of the leading player/composers in the flute world. His compositions have been performed across five continents on stages ranging from the South Bank to Glastonbury. These works are establishing themselves as some of the most exciting flute repertoire of today and are being embraced by internationally acclaimed performers, teachers, colleges & students alike.
Ian has performed as a guest soloist for the British Flute Society including the Third International Flute Convention, Manchester, as one of their 'renowned artists' at their 20th Century flute day in 2001 and will appear at the 2006 BFS international convention. He made his international debut as guest soloists at the NFA's 2001 International Flute Convention, Dallas. Following on from this Ian was the guest artist at the 2003 Hungarian National Flute Event and a headline artist in the 2005 NFA convention in San Diego. He has given master classes at the Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Royal Scottish Academy, Royal Northern and Trinity College of Music and has regularly been invited to perform & lead workshops for 'Flutewise' and numerous other flute events around the country. Ian has been a regular visitor to several of the leading Summer Schools. 2005 saw the release of his long awaited CD 'Within?', now critically acclaimed and one of the flute world's best sellers.
A prize-winning student, Ian studied with Simon Hunt, Averil Williams and Kate Lukas of the Guildhall School of Music, London. He concurrently studied Mathematics at Imperial College, London graduating with Honors. Ian is professor of flute at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
Ian works extensively with musician/composer Simon Painter writing, producing and performing music for film & television under the name of Diva Music with numerous recordings between them and applications from Microsoft to Oprah Winfrey.
Artist Interview
Ian Clarke (UK)
We had the opportunity to ask Ian a few questions. Take a look at his thoughts on composing & performing, his inspirations as well as advice for upcoming flutists.
1. What are your greatest inspirations for your compositions?
Each composition has its own story so it is difficult to say, particularly because the pieces on the CD 'Within...' were written over a period of years. However, flute player/composers have definitely been a huge factor along with a diverse set of other influences. Hearing Robert Dick for the first time many years ago at the Royal College of Music was unforgettable and opened up a world of possibilities. Hearing Dave Heath perform his own pieces was also fantastic. Equally, I have always been inspired by great musicians/instrumentalists of all sorts ranging from Oscar Peterson to Sir James Galway, along with great music from Stravinsky's Rite of Spring to Pink Floyd.
I have owned synthesizers and keyboards of various descriptions since I was in school and have experimented with sound ever since. Texture and sound have always intrigued me, and the possibilities in a studio are vast. The former experience of playing in a band has influenced my writing – I have written in many different genres as well as composed with specific images in mind.
I will be playing Xi by Stockhausen in my concerts in Canada and the USA partly because of its influence on subsequent pieces like Zoom Tube, and because Xi is an extraordinary piece. I'm not really big on Stockhausen but a friend of mine did some work with him and leant me her autographed collection of Stockhausen's flute music ... I zoned in on one piece, Xi and set about learning its microtonal language. When heard back to back, the influence of Xi on Zoom Tube is recognizable.
In summary, my flute pieces tend to evolve and take on a life of their own, each with its own thread and package of thoughts, feelings and inspirations. My latest piece Touching the Ether has both philosophical and emotional ideas running through its creation.
2. How do you go about composing? Do you improvise on your flute and then write down your ideas? Or do you already have ideas in your head beforehand?
It is not always a straightforward process.... I feel a need to write something while also finding the process often quite difficult. There are many reasons for this. In general, yes, I improvise and then record or notate these ideas. Also I often have ungraspable images in my head that gradually take shape...
3. How do you balance composing and performing?
The short answer again is, with difficulty! I am lucky that life is very full but this creates a challenge in terms of finding time to write for the flute more. I love performing and it's great to have the opportunity to play in an increasing variety of countries. I recently got back from a brilliant trip to Iceland – somewhere I had never been – playing the flute with a great group of people. And of course, I am off to Canada and the US very soon. A lot of my creative work has been and still is with Simon Painter, my partner in Diva Music, writing for various television and film applications. It was a collaboration with Simon that resulted in T R K s and Tuberama amongst other things. I also love teaching. I seem to need a crowbar to make time to compose for the flute (!), which is something I'm attempting to do now. Interestingly, it is much easier for me to practice repertoire, perform or teach than it is to compose, but I have a 'need' to do it, so in the end it happens.... very complicated!
4. How did you come to choose Miyazawa as your flute of choice?
I was looking for more resonance and spin from my flute, particularly in the middle register. I was fortunate to meet the lovely people from Miyazawa UK & US who took me through the range. The Miyazawas with soldered toneholes in particular seemed to work well for me ... Initially, I played the heavy-wall silver then moved onto the GS which is what I used for the CD a couple of years ago and have played solidly since. Even though the player dominates the relationship with their instrument, one's flute is a very personal thing.
5. If you had one piece of advice to give for an upcoming flutist, what would you tell them?
Struggle to imagine the most extraordinary note, phrase, performance and reach for it... every time! Then don't get too worried if you only very rarely get there....getting a little closer is a real buzz!