Sir James Galway (born December 8, 1939) is an Irish flute player from Belfast, often called the man with the golden flute. He became one of the first flautists to establish a career as a soloist. HM Queen Elizabeth II knighted Mr. Galway in June 2001.
He auditioned for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Herbert von Karajan, and was principal flute of that orchestra for many years. Eventually, and to Karajan's surprise and dismay, after a period of some disagreement, "Jimmy" Galway decided that he would leave to pursue a solo career, which he succeeded in doing admirably. He still performs regularly and is one of the world's leading classical flute players.
Most recently, Sir Galway has performed for the Academy Award-winning ensemble recording the soundtracks of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy.