Macnamara's Band - Music

Jonathan Was Born In Northern Ireland In 1978 Where He Began To Play The Flute At The Age Of 12. He Was A Student Of The Late William Dunwoody MBE With Whom He Studied For Six Years. During This Time He Gained A Scholarship To James Galway’s International Flute Seminar In Switzerland And Subsequent Scholarships Were Awarded By The Ian Gow Memorial Fund The Princes Trust And The Arts Council. In 1995 Jonathan Was The N. Ireland Young Musician Of The Year And In 1996 He Gained A Place At The Royal Northern College Of Music Attaining His BMus Hons RNCM Degree In June 2000. Jonathan Has Recorded Two CDs Of Popular Irish Music On The Outlet Label. The First ‘Favourite Irish Melodies’ Was Released In 2000 And The Second ’The Isle Of Innisfree’ In December 2001. Both Are Played Regularly On Local Radio Particularly By John Anderson Brian D’Arcy And Walter Love.
His First Light Classical Album ‘Golden Inspirations’ Was Released In December 2002 This Album Largely Comprised Of Favourite Compositions Which Are Frequently Included In Jonathan’s Recital Repertoire. On This Album The Clarity And Expressiveness Of His Playing His Beautiful Natural Singing Tone And Virtuosic Technique Is Clearly Demonstrated. He Is A Great Favourite With His Audiences As A Result Of Not Only His Playing But Also For His Personal Warmth And Charm. Jonathan Has Given Numerous Concerts And Lunchtime Recitals Both In Northern Ireland And On The UK Mainland Local Venues Including Belfast Waterfront Hall And Hillsborough Castle And He Has Also Performed Live On BBC Radio Ulster. He Played At The Leeds International Concert Series In October And Has In The Pipeline A Number Of Bookings In England Wales And Scotland At Festivals And For Music Societies. Over The Years Jonathan’s Freelance Orchestral Playing Has Given Him The Opportunity To Play With The Ulster City Of Birmingham The London Philharmonic And The London Symphony Orchestras.
Following The Success Of His Previous Four CDs Jonathan Has Been Encouraged To Release Another Album This Time Of Contemporary Love Songs. The Album Entitled Simply Love Has Been Compiled With Some Of The Most Beautiful Music That All Age Groups Can Identify With And Includes A Number Of His Often Requested Tunes.
His Style
With A Unique Style And Tone The Late William Dunwoody MBE Described Jonathan As "Moyse Rampal And Galway All In One" And His Relaxed Manner And Charismatic Charm Have Endeared Him To Audiences Around The Globe.
Jonathan Successfully Bridges The Gap Between Classical And Popular Music And Plays From The Heart With Power And Passion That Has Won Him Thousands Of Fans Throughout The World With His Pure Natural Ability And Pleasing Personality Both On Stage And Off.
His Love Affair With The Flute Began At The Age Of 12 And His Progress Was So Rapid That By The Age Of 16 He Won The Coveted Title "Irish Musician Of The Year".
Even Then At This Age He Was Showing Signs Of Becoming A Great Entertainer. As A Teenager He Started Performing For Many Audiences In His Home Country Of Northern Ireland.
His Talents Have Won Him The Opportunity To Perform With Some Of The UK's Major Orchestras Including The Ulster London Symphony And Royal Philharmonic. His Colourful Musical Career Has Also Included Giving Classical Recitals And In More Recent Years Performing As A "Headline Entertainer" On Board Some Of The Most Exclusive Cruise Ships All Around The World. read less