Wissam Boustany
Flute Tutor
One of only a few flautists to have launched a successful career as an international soloist, Wissam Boustany is a performer who inspires audiences with his energetic and communicative music-making. His flute has taken him on numerous tours to Europe, the Middle-East, Far East, USA and Latin America, where he continues to present many concerts,
master-classes and workshops. He embraces a wide repertoire, and has developed a keen interest in introducing the music of today within the context of imaginative program planning, which combines the innovative with the traditional. Amongst the composers who have written for him: Beat Furrer, Alun Hoddinott, Simon Holt, Tarek Younis, Carl Witt, Houtaf Khoury, Bushra el-Turk, Boghos Gelalian, Yevhen Stankovych, David Sutton-Anderson, Peter Cowdrey, Pierre Thilloy, Dai Fujikura, Walid
Howrani, Marcel Khalifeh and Shaun Bracey.
During Wissam’s brief orchestral career he was principle of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (under Claudio Abbado) in the early 1980s, with whom he appeared as soloist on the award winning Deutsche Grammophone recording of 'Il Viaggio a Rheims'. He also freelanced with the London Symphony Orchestra and other orchestras in London.
Born in Lebanon, Wissam Boustany began his musical studies in Beirut with his stepfather. He moved to Britain in 1977 where he studied at Chetham's School of Music & the Royal Northern College of Music. He has received many awards, notably the Silver Medal in the 1982 Madeira International Flute Competition and (in the same year) the woodwind prize in the Royal Overseas League Competition. He was also the Silver Medallist in the Shell/LSO Competition and won the 2nd prize in the woodwind section of the first 'BBC Young Musician of the Year'.
Wissam’s experiences of the war in Lebanon have greatly influenced his outlook on both Life and Music. In 1995 he founded Towards Humanity, a multi-decade international initiative working with musicians and charities, helping communities who suffer from the tragedies of war. This project was inaugurated in February 1995 at the Royal Albert Hall, London. In 1997 he was awarded a knighthood by the Lebanese government (Chevalier de l’Ordre du Cedre) in recognition of his music and peace work. On 3rd February 1998 he was presented with the Crystal Award at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Wissam continues to use his music as a powerful healing force to open the doors of inspiration between people and nations, and help us reflect on our common humanity. He is currently Professor of Flute at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.
Five solo CDs are available under the Nimbus Alliance label: ‘This Invisible World’, ‘Mirror of Eternity’, ‘Wandering Winds’, ‘Vivaldi’s Children’ and ‘Sounds from Within’.
