William Bennett (flautist)
Encyclopedia
William Bennett, OBE (born 1936, London
) is a British
flute
player, who has played with most of the major British orchestra
s, the London Symphony Orchestra
, the English Chamber Orchestra
and the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, and was a frequent guest artist in the Melos Ensemble. He also has a career as a soloist. He developed an instrument, the 'flauto di bassetto', which extends the range of the flute down a minor third, and one of his recordings, Mozart
's Concerto K 218, features this. In the late 1960s, his work on flute acoustics, in collaboration with other British flutists and the British flute maker Albert Cooper, helped vastly to improve the intonation of the modern flute. The resulting method of tuning is commonly called the Bennett-Cooper scale. He was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the National Flute Association
in 2002, and he was appointed an OBE
by the Queen
in 1995.
He teaches flute at the Royal Academy of Music
and was a key influence on the flutemaker Altus.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) is a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
flute
Flute
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...
player, who has played with most of the major British orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
s, the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
, the English Chamber Orchestra
English Chamber Orchestra
The English Chamber Orchestra is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and the ECO Ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall...
and the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, and was a frequent guest artist in the Melos Ensemble. He also has a career as a soloist. He developed an instrument, the 'flauto di bassetto', which extends the range of the flute down a minor third, and one of his recordings, Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's Concerto K 218, features this. In the late 1960s, his work on flute acoustics, in collaboration with other British flutists and the British flute maker Albert Cooper, helped vastly to improve the intonation of the modern flute. The resulting method of tuning is commonly called the Bennett-Cooper scale. He was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the National Flute Association
National Flute Association
The National Flute Association , is the largest organization for flutists in the world. It is an association in the United States.It was founded by Mark Thomas.-External links:*...
in 2002, and he was appointed an OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
by the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in 1995.
He teaches flute at 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...
and was a key influence on the flutemaker Altus.