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HARROGATE FLUTE SUMMER SCHOOL FACULTY

Dr Martyn Shaw is an authority on early nineteenth century English style and a specialist in historical performance practice. Martyn has a multi-faceted career as an international performer, teacher and researcher. He has worked with a range of the country’s leading ensembles including The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, English Touring Opera, London Handel Orchestra, Ex Cathedra, and Manchester Baroque in which he is a founding member. Martyn’s CD 'The Nicholsonian Effect' on the Omnibus Classics label, features works from Nineteenth-Century England performed on original instruments.

Martyn teaches at Chetham’s School of Music, where he is the Woodwind Coordinator and was Head of Woodwind 2018-2020. He is Principal Lecturer in Performance at Leeds Conservatoire and was the external woodwind assessor at the University of Huddersfield 2014-17. Martyn is also a qualified Coach and Mentor with a specialism in helping musicians and performing artists to achieve their potential. In particular he works with students and professionals in areas including performance anxiety, nerves, auditions, exam preparation, communication, practice, career progression and work-life-balance.

Martyn studied flute at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and was subsequently awarded a double entrance scholarship by the Royal Academy of Music, where he completed a combined Masters programme in both modern and historical performance practices. Martyn studied with Edward Beckett, Lisa Beznosiuk, Rachel Brown, Sam Coles, Michael Cox, Kate Hill, Paul Edmund-Davies, Stephen Preston, Averil Williams and Trevor Wye. He is a past recipient of the British Land Award, Jean Vincent Award (Dalcroze Society UK) and winner of Barber, Barton, Cunningham, Goldsborough, Jerwood and MBF scholarships. In 2014 Martyn completed Doctoral research in early nineteenth-century flute performance practice with a particular focus on tone-colour, vibrato, extemporisation and the life and work of Charles Nicholson (1795-1837), England’s first concert flautist and the inspiration behind the modern flute. Martyn has presented lecture recitals for the Performance Studies Network, Royal Musical Association, the International Conference of Nineteenth Century Music and at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Switzerland.

Helen is currently Principal Second Flute in the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Alongside this Helen has been fortunate to enjoy a varied performing career freelancing in orchestras, shows and sessions, and also as a solo and chamber musician and educator. 

As an orchestral player, Helen has played for international tours, radio and television broadcasts, BBC Proms performances and CD recordings with a number of orchestras. This includes work with the BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, English National Opera Orchestra, the Hallé, Heritage Orchestra, John Wilson Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Opera North Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Sinfonia Cymru, Sinfonia of London, and the Welsh National Opera Orchestra. She held the flute chair position in West End productions of An American in Paris (Dominion Theatre), The King and I (London Palladium) and Evita (Regent Park Open Air Theatre). She has also depped on Les Miserables UK tour, Wicked UK Tour, The King and I UK Tour, Phantom of the Opera UK Tour and National Theatre’s production of Antony and Cleopatra. 

In 2011, Helen formed Tempest, a flute trio looking to expand and diversify the repertoire for this line up. In doing so they explored music from all genres, from baroque to jazz, and commissioned over 20 works from leading UK composers. The trio won several competitions including the Royal Overseas League Competition, Nonclassical Battle of the Bands, RNCM Chamber Music Prize and were 2nd prize winners of the International Kuhlau Competition. They were also Park Lane Group Artists, Manchester Midday Concert Series Artists and performed across the continent in venues such as the Wigmore Hall, London. Helen has played in a number of other chamber and contemporary ensembles including Liverpool Wind Collective, RIOT Ensemble, Ossian Ensemble, Psappha, Manchester Collective, Ensemble DEVA and LOKI ensemble. 

Passionate about music education, Helen has lead workshops and masterclasses for organisations including Live Music Now! and the British Flute Society and for schools, universities and conservatoires such as the RNCM. Helen regularly leads flute sectionals for Liverpool Philharmonic Youth and Academy Orchestras and for other youth orchestras and ensembles.  She teaches flute at Chetham’s School of Music, Liverpool Hope University, on the pop course at the Royal Northern College of Music, as a Senior Lecturer at Leeds Conservatoire and previously taught at the University of Manchester.  Helen also writes and arranges music, much of which she has written for her flute trio, Tempest.  Her most recent composition “People, Planet, Profit” written for Sinfonia Cymru, is a 3 set work that explores the topics of Climate Change and Sustainable Development. 

Helen took up the flute aged 9 at school in her home town of Harrogate. After seeing a television series about Chetham’s School of Music, she persuaded her parents to let her study there from the age of 12. Following this she completed her undergraduate and postgraduate studies as an ABRSM scholar at the Royal Northern College of Music graduating with an International Artist Diploma and the RNCM Gold Medal Award. Whilst studying, some of Helen’s solo competitive achievements include being a woodwind category finalist in BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2006, winner of the BFS Performance Plus Competition, winner of RNCM concerto competition,  she was a Park Lane Group Young Artist, a Concordia Artist and Royal Overseas League finalist. Helen also plays various ethnic flutes and whilst a student, studied jazz flute as her 2nd study and played with NYJO (National Youth Jazz Orchestra).