Interview with Lorna McGhee – Part I
In this first section of our two-part interview, Lorna discusses her decision to audition for the BSO principal flute position; the audition process and her manner of preparation; how British and American orchestral auditions differ; her influential flute mentors David Nicholson and William Bennett; and her approach to teaching. I first heard Lorna perform at a Sunday afternoon recital sponsored by the New York Flute Club at Yamaha Artist Services in New York around a decade ago. She was then the principal flute of the Pittsburgh Symphony and I was totally taken by her playing. When it was announced in 2024 that she had won the audition for principal flute in the BSO, I was both delighted and astonished. I was not surprised that someone of Lorna’s talent and musical sensitivity would assume that role, but rather that she would endeavor to put herself through the grueling audition process as an accomplished and experienced professional who already had a gig with a major U.S. orchestra. Her journey should prove quite inspiring to all musicians.
*Opening Track: Tomoso Antonio Vitali, Chaconne
*Closing Track: Sigfrid Karg-Elert, Caprice #30
About the Artist
Scottish-born flutist Lorna McGhee has been a major influence on American flute playing over the past several decades. As principal flute in the Pittsburgh Symphony since 2012, she set a standard for eloquent and subtle playing that is reflective of her most influential teachers, David Nicholson and William Bennett. Recently appointed as principal flute of the Boston Symphony Orchestra beginning with the 2024/2025 season, she succeeds the marvelous Elizabeth Rowe in this most prestigious of American Orchestras. Lorna has also played co-principal flute with the BBC Orchestra of London as well as guested with numerous orchestras around the world including the Chicago Symphony, The London Philharmonic, the Academy of St. Martins-in-the-Fields, and the London Symphony, among others. Her love of chamber music led her to help create the Trio Verlaine with husband David Harding (viola) and Heidi Krutzen (harp). They have performed and recorded extensively while commissioning numerous works for this combination as well as new pieces for flute and harp. She has also been active as a teacher at the University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon University as well as an in-demand recitalist and clinician at flute festivals and institutions around the world. Lorna McGhee is an honorary fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and is an Altus Flute Artist. Please investigate her website for further information at: www.LornaMcGhee.com.