Audio history
Recordings featuring Alex Murray
Early flute recordings of renowned flutists.
Historic reference
Annotated Murray flute history articles (annotated by Alex Murray)
The Murray Flute by Phillip Bate
PAN interview with Alex Murray (March 2020)
Alex’s early bio in his own words, and how he discovered the Alexander Technique
Alex Murray Lifetime Achievement Award
NFA Online tribute
“Some observations on tone color in the recurved flute,” R.M. Lasewski, A.D. Murray (paywall) – more fruit of the collaboration between Alex Murray and Ron Lasewski, a nuclear physicist at the University of Illinois with a keen interest in Baroque flutes and their acoustic properties.
Ludwig Boehm’s website on his forebear, Theobald Boehm: Everything you ever wanted to know about Boehm’s intentions for the flute.
Jack Moore Murray flute in Dayton C. Miller Collection: the Murray student prototype made for Armstrong.
Armstrong News, July 1971, touting the Murray flute. At the end of the story, there’s a photo of a silver Murray piccolo which appears to go down to low B. Alex notes: “The piccolo on the right is extended down to B, but the key is only for appearances. C is the lowest note fingered (this is required in Mozart’s Seraglio Overture – there are several c#s in the repertoire). The extra length smooths the response of the upper octave.” There is also a great photo of Alex with John Coltman and Harry Moskovitz.
Masters Theses
Imagine my surprise to find, when I went to archive the Jack Moore estate, my 1986 master’s thesis, A Guide to Intelligent Practice of the Murray Flute, printed in a British Flute Journal, expanded with numerous instrument photos, alongside articles from luminaries like Albert Cooper, David Wimberley and others. Some poor soul had to typeset the whole thing from a typed copy. Whoever you are, I salute you.
Very few (if any) articles on the Murray flute discuss the approach to playing it successfully, to wit, the balance and poise it requires, and how to achieve and practice that (even if you’re not a student of the Alexander Technique, which certainly informed Alex’s playing and teaching). I wrote about my experience switching from standard to Murray flute, and included simple exercises both physical and technical that helped me switch in 6 weeks while continuing to play a standard piccolo every day. Hopefully, someone will find this helpful.
In that same Flute Journal compilation, I found Trudy Wintizer’s excellent thesis on The History of the Murray Flute, which was done several years before mine. If you’re interested in what specific changes were made between Murray flute models from the first Cooper prototype in 1960 through to 1981 (Alex’s white gold Jack Moore flute), refer to Trudy’s charts on the last three pages.
Alex Murray tributes
Flute Scholarship in Honor of Alexander Murray’s Distinguished Career
“Alexander Murray served as Professor of Flute at MSU from 1967-74 and retired from the University of Illinois in 2003. Formerly principal flute with the London Symphony and Covent Garden Opera, he has taught at the Royal College, Royal Academy, and Royal Northern College in England, the Royal Dutch Conservatory in the Hague, and the National Music Camp at Interlochen. He has recorded extensively with the London Symphony Orchestra and made solo albums for Pandora Records. With his wife Joan, Alex founded and directed the Urbana Center for the Alexander Technique where they have trained more than 60 Alexander teachers. He is the editor of Skill and Poise, a collection of Raymond Dart’s papers, and a series of booklets on the Alexander Technique and philosopher John Dewey. Those who wish to support the MSU Flute studio and honor Mr. Murray are invited to make a contribution to this endowed scholarship. Undergraduate students pursuing a degree in Music who are studying the flute will be eligible for this award.”
(This was started by Leslie Timmons – ed.)
Acknowledgements
This site could not have come together without the tireless efforts of Pat Zuber and the contributions of the Murray flute community. I am so grateful to all who are a part of this and those who will become a part of it in the future (thanks to you all) — Lynne Lasser.