BIOGRAPHY
Nick Cartledge is regarded as one of the most versatile flute players of his generation, having won outstanding reviews of his solo performances in classical, jazz, pop and commercial music. He studied the flute at the Royal College of Music in London with Susan Milan, winning a dozen awards in his time there. In 1996, he graduated with first class honours, having made his Wigmore Hall debut with the guitarists John Williams and Carlos Bonell. The same year he became the first ever flautist to win the Royal Over-Seas League music competition. He was also awarded the Tagore Gold Medal (the Royal College's highest honour).
Since leaving the RCM, Nick's career has developed in several different directions. He works widely as a freelance orchestral musician. He has appeared as soloist and chamber musician across the world, including performances at London's Royal Festival Hall, Purcell Room and Queen Elizabeth Hall and the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland as well as in the US, the Caribbean, Russia, Canada and Europe. He has also broadcast several times on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM as well as on BBC World Service Radio. His festival appearances in Britain include the Edinburgh Fringe, Windsor, Beaumaris, Winchfield, Thaxted, Sherborne and Brighton.
Nick is also in demand as a session flautist for films, TV and albums. He regularly records at major London studios such as Abbey Road, Air Lyndhurst, British Grove and Angel Studios. Nick has worked with Ed Sheeran on the Divide album, as well as with Marcella Detroit, the Divine Comedy, Guy Chambers and Sheena Easton. He has appeared on the soundtracks of many films, including "The Theory of Everything", "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", "A Good American", "The Queen of Katwe", "Kubo and the Two Strings", "My Cousin Rachel", "The Emoji Movie" "Darkest Hour" and "Paddington 2", both with music composed and conducted by the Oscar-winning composer Dario Marianelli. He has also recently featured on the new album by tenor and Britain's Got Talent winner, Jonathan Antoine, as well as on the soundtrack for David Attenborough's "Planet Earth" series.
During lockdown Nick performed as solo flautist on British guitarist Graham Young's album Polymorph
Nick is also in demand as a composer/arranger. His works have been heard on TV and Radio across the world and have been used as themes for several series. For many years, his music was prominent in the BBC's Ceefax service. In 2016, he completed a commission for the VIDA Guitar Quartet which was acclaimed in their recent US tour. Most recently, Nick collaborated with the Russian composer Alexander Shulgin on the composition of the score for the short film "Checkmate", starring Sian Phillips and Ornella Muti. The score has just won two awards for best soundtrack at two film festivals, in Japan and in Russia.
Future projects include further, solo, chamber and orchestral work and the publishing of a new album of music for flute and piano, “American Sketches”.
Nick plays a 14 carat rose gold flute handmade by Brannen brothers, Boston, USA and a 1917 Rudall Carte cocos wood flute.