Gareth Houston

Gareth Houston is a classical flutist born in Belfast, Ireland.

He began playing traditional Irish music at the age of six, learning from his grandfather and uncle for ten years. At the age of 16, Gareth dedicated his time fully to classical music, and began studying with Colin Fleming (Principal Flute of The Ulster Orchestra). At 18 years old, Gareth was offered a full scholarship to study at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in the UK. Whilst there, he studied with both Roger Armstrong (Principal Flute of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales) and Eva Stewart (Principal Piccolo of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.) He graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor of Music (with Honours).

Gareth was then offered a place in 2015 at the prestigious École Normale de Musique de Paris in France in the flute class of Catherine Cantin (Principal Flute of Paris Opera.) Whilst there, he achieved diplomas in harmony, sight-reading and music theory, and was unanimously awarded the Diplôme Supérieur d’Exécution in Chamber Music whilst in the class of Nina Patarcec (Orchestre de Paris).

Following additional studies with renowned French flutist Magali Mosnier (Principal Flute of the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra), Gareth was once again awarded the Diplôme Supérieur d’Exécution, this time in flute, with a unanimous decision and special congratulations from the jury after competing in the Concours de Flûte in 2018.

Since then, Gareth has been living in Cologne, Germany where he studies in the private class of celebrated flute professor Robert Winn (former principal flute of the Philharmonia Orchestra, London.) Gareth appears regularly as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral musician across Europe and has recently performed in France, Ireland, the UK, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Hungary and more.

He has been a scholarship recipient at the New Millenium International Chamber Music Festival (Budapest), the Falaut Festival (Associazione Flautisti Italiani) in Napoli, and the summer chamber music festival at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen. Gareth is a keen proponent of contemporary music (often working with living composers) and Irish traditional music (most recently appearing on Irish folk trio TRÚ’s debút album No Fixed Abode.)

As a pedagogue, he is in demand as a flute professor, masterclass teacher, music theory teacher and workshop leader. Having previously held teaching positions with both the Conservatoire Chopin and the Conservatoire Munch in Paris, he also worked with La Ville de Paris as a workshop leader in woodwind, orchestral and choral capacities. Recently, Gareth took up a new teaching position with the G.F. Handel Music Academy in Cologne, Germany, working in partnership with St George’s British International School. Gareth proudly has a 100% pass rate for students sitting The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) examinations. This includes Performance Grades 1-8 and Diploma’s on flute, Grade 5 in Music Theory and Grades 1-5 in clarinet, saxophone and oboe.

Music Qualifications & Achievements:

• Bachelor of Music with Honours – The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
• Masters of Music (equivalent) – Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris