Biography
Job Title: Principal Lecturer
Courses Taught: BA (Hons) Music (Classical) Flute, Instrumental Music Tuition (Music Pedagogy); Music Theory
Specialisms: Flute, Chamber ensembles, Historical Performance; Nineteenth-Century Performance Practice; Qualified Coach with particular specialism in working with musicians and performing artists; Interdisciplinary Collaboration; Educational Leadership; Solo, Chamber
Dr Martyn Shaw PhD, FHEA, MA, MMus, PGCE, BMus(hons), AGSMD, LGSMD is a specialist in performance practice, and an authority on early nineteenth century English style. His expertise in interpretation helps students gain a deeper understanding in developing their own distinctive voice. He is a multifaceted performer working on a wide range of flutes as a soloist, orchestral player and in collaboration with composers and researchers.
Martyn has taught at Leeds Conservatoire since 2005 where he has successfully guided flautists through a broad range of repertoire towards achieving their creative goals. Alongside his work as a Principal Lecturer at the conservatoire, Martyn teaches at Chetham’s School of Music, where he is Woodwind Coordinator and was Head of Woodwind 2018-2020 . He was the external woodwind assessor at the University of Huddersfield 2014-17 and an Artistic and Quality Assessor for Arts Council England. He performs with some of the country’s leading ensembles including The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, English Touring Opera, London Handel Orchestra, Armonico Consort, English Scholars and Ex Cathedra. Martyn is on the Artistic Board for Manchester Baroque with whom he performs regularly. His recording ‘The Nicholsonian Effect’, together with Leeds Conservatoire staff pianist Jonathan Gooing, was released on the Omnibus Classics label in 2016. It features works for ‘Nicholson’s “Improved” Flute’ and pianoforte from nineteenth-century England, and Martyn’s own edition of J.N. Hummel’s D Major Flute Sonata op.50 performed on an original T. Prowse (Junior) flute (c.1839).
Martyn is a qualified Coach and Mentor (ILM accredited), 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 at Chetham’s School of Music before accepting a place at the Trevor Wye Studio, funded by a Graucob Award. He continued his flute studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Paul Edmund-Davies, Averil Williams and Sam Coles. Whilst at the Guildhall he began studying the Baroque Flute with Stephen Preston, and was subsequently awarded a double entrance scholarship by the Royal Academy of Music, where he completed the Masters programme in both Historical and Modern Performance. At the RAM Martyn studied with Lisa Beznosiuk, Rachel Brown, Michael Cox and Kate Hill. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and PhD in Performance Practice.
Martyn’s doctoral research uniquely assesses the interrelationship which existed between performance, pedagogy and instrumental design in the work of Charles Nicholson (1795-1837), England’s first concert flautist and one of the key figures at the Royal Academy of Music at its inception in 1822. It represents the first detailed study of the form and function of tone-colour, ‘vibration’ (vibrato) and the glide (flute portamento) within the performance practices of the period. His current research focusses on the Development of the Conservatoire and the Educational Leadership of Music in the UK. Martyn is a past recipient of the British Land Award (2003), Jean Vincent Award (Dalcroze Society UK) and winner of Barber, Barton, Cunningham, Goldsborough, Jerwood and MBF scholarships. Martyn has presented academic papers, research seminars and lecture recitals, and chaired sessions for the Performance Studies Network, Royal Musical Association, Society for Musicology in Ireland and International Conference on Nineteenth-Century Music, at the Universities of Birmingham, Edinburgh, Hull, Leeds, York and at the Dublin Conservatory of Music and Drama.
Twitter: @fluteymartyn
Website: www.martynshawflute.com
