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PHILIPPE BARNES

Philippe is one of the leading exponents of traditional music on a Boehm system flute. He is a multi-instrumentalist and versatile musician specialising in Irish & Celtic music, currently performing on the UK tour of award winning show “Come From Away”.
An Altus Flutes artist and Azumi Ambassador, Philippe has a first class honours MA in Irish Traditional Music Performance from Limerick University, but is also an accomplished classical performer.
Philippe recently joined the London Contemporary Orchestra for the “Philip Glass Bowie Symphonies” including the world premiere of his latest Symphony and the “Prince: A Symphonic tribute” concert at the Royal Albert Hall.  In 2019 he recorded the soundtracks for and appeared in the feature film “Emma” playing baroque flute, and the hit ITV show “Sanditon” playing flute, whistles and uilleann pipes. He also performed pipes, flute and whistles on “The Pirate Queen” show at the London Coliseum.
Philippe was featured playing whistle and flute on Amy Dickson’s platinum selling album Dusk & Dawn. Also joining her and the London Chamber Orchestra live at the Royal Albert Hall for the Classic Brit Awards. A regular TV flautist, he has appeared with Shakira for MTV 5-Star, Ellie Goulding & The Proclaimers at the NTA awards and Bryn Terfel at the Royal Variety Performance among others.
Over the years Philippe has toured extensively all over Europe and America playing flute & guitar with the David Munnelly Band. Ireland, France & Germany with London Irish band Crossharbour. Australia with his Celtic Jazz-Funk group All Jigged Out and France and Scotland with piper Calum Stewart. Three-time runner up in the BBC Young Folk Awards, Philippe is currently a part of the new folk trio The Wilderness Yet.   
Philippe has won critical acclaim for his book “Irish Music on the Silver Flute” which he debuted at the NFA (National Flute Association) conference in Orlando in 2018 and is now stocked worldwide. He has since performed at the NFA in Salt Lake City 2019 and was asked back again for the postponed Dallas conference 2020. Philippe has performed 3 times at the British Flute Society convention and presented flute days across the UK. In addition to the NFA in Orlando, worldwide Philippe has hosted workshops and master classes at the Swedish Flute Teachers Convention in Skövde and performed at the World Wind festival in Gyeongju, South Korea, and Limerick University, Ireland.
A World music flautist, Philippe also has a great love for flamenco and jazz music. As part of Oud virtuoso Attab Haddad’s band he has performed several times at the London Jazz Festival and The Purcell Room. He was a part of bass virtuoso Franc O’Shea’s Jazz-Fusion group Alkimia and has given performances with world music project “a Hidden Order” music with geometry across the UK, in Saudi Arabia and at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada. Philippe has also toured the british isles with Folk Hip-Hop rising stars Dizraeli & The Small Gods (on guitar, flute, keys and gaita!). 

SHOWS

Come From Away – Irish Pipes, Wooden Flute, Whistles

The Pirate Queen – Irish Pipes, Wooden Flute, Whistles

1916 The Musical – Irish Pipes, Wooden Flute, Whistles

SESSION WORK

Amy Dickson – Bonus Tracks for Special Edition of her Number 1 classical album – Whistle on “Theme from Local Hero”, Flute on “Adieu Poirot”

“Sanditon” – TV Soundtrack, Flute, Whistles, Irish Pipes

“Emma” – Film Soundtrack, Flute

“The Imposter” – Feature Film, Film 4

“Love and Hate Crime” – TV BBC – Flute, Piccolo, Alto Flute

“Dark Horse” – Film Soundtrack, Flute

“Magic of the Snowy Owl” – Flute, PBS Nature

“Brothers of War” – Flute, Whistles – Feature Film

“1916 – the Show” – Uilleann Pipes, Whistles, Wooden Flute – Recorded at Studio One, Abbey Road

“The Funeral” – Film Soundtrack, Flute

“The Monkey-Eating Eagle of the Orinoco” – BBC Natural World

“Fighting Hatred” – Documentary about Ireland, Philippe plays Flutes, Whistles and Piccolo throughout. Mostly improvised.

“Trailblazers – Afghanistan” Part of the Trailblazers series for Discovery Channel, Philippe plays silver flute and lots of bamboo flutes, bamboo whistles.

“Faultlines – India” – CTCV, ITV, “John McCarthy presents a series on the religious and politic divides of countries. Filmed in Brazil, Russia, Iran, India, Israel and USA” . Philippe replicates Indian bansuri on a silver flute…

“Body in the Park” – Silent film soundtrack by Dave Smith

“Moving in the Dark” – Dizraeli & The Small Gods – Bagpipes, Whistle, Flute

“Planet of Love” – Syd Arthur – Flute

 

Philippe Barnes Flute Whistles Pipes London

Balancing raw, gutsy session tunes, with serene though not sedate slow airs. An Feochan is an eye-opening debut - Philippe Barnes, remember the name”

John O’Regan FOLK ROOTS

Hot Talent

FOLK NEWS

Philippe Barnes’ contributions on silver flute, wooden flute and Galician Pipes are masterful

Frank Gutch Jr, Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange, 2007

At the age of 19 folk flautist Philippe Barnes is becoming a name to be reckoned with…

Jan Goodey, New Insight

I've heard nobody else who can make the Boehm flute sound like the true traditional thing, who can mould tone to fit the tune so nicely... the sheer musicality is exceptionally impressive…

John Brophy, Irish Music

TV APPEARANCES

MTV 5-Star – Shakira – Flute

ITV – National Television Awards – Pixie Lott & The Proclaimers – Guitar
ITV – Classic Brit Awards – Amy Dickson – Whistles
ITV – Royal Variety Performance – Bryn Terfel & Only Men Aloud – Whistle
ITV – Sanditon – Flute
Feature Film – Emma – Baroque Flute
ITV – Britain’s Got Talent – Paul Potts Orchestra – Flute
ITV – Celebrity Stars in their Eyes – Mark Radcliffe as Shane McGowan – Whistle
ITV – Des and Mel – Roger Whittaker – Flute
TG4 – Feilte – Crossharbour – Whistle/Guitar
E4 – Made In Chelsea (Season 2 & Season 11) – Licence To Ceilidh – Guitar
BBC 1 – This Week – Licence To Ceilidh – Guitar
BBC 2 – Great British Menu Final – Licence To Ceilidh – Guitar
ITV – TOWIE – Licence To Ceilidh – Guitar
ITV – Loose Women – Licence To Ceilidh – Guitar
ITV – This Morning – Licence To Ceilidh – Guitar
Channel 4 – Gok’s Fashion Fix – Licence To Ceilidh – Guitar
BBC Scotland – News – Licence To Ceilidh – Guitar

RADIO

Classic FM – Classic Brit Awards – Amy Dickson – Whistles

BBC 6 Music – Attab Haddad Quintet live on Cerys Matthews show

BBC Radio 3 – The Early Music Show – Live from BREMF with Musicians of London Wall

BBC Radio 4 with Geoff Smith – “Faust”

BBC Radio Scotland with Geoff Smith – “Faust”

BBC Radio 3 – Late Junction – Licence to Ceilidh

1999 Radio 2 Young Folk Awards Finals with All Jigged Out

BBC Radio 4 Play ‘Moby Dick’, music composed by Rohan Kriwaczek

BBC Radio 4 Play “My Uncle Freddie” used “An Feochan” excerpts throughout series