Nicholas Gunn

Classically trained, and with a reputation as one of the world’s best selling flutists, Nicholas Gunn is in the upper echelon of contemporary instrumentalists. Having sold nearly two million albums, making him a platinum artist, Nicholas' live performances meld many different musical backgrounds, tones, and rhythms. Audiences leave both energized, mesmerized, and inspired. On his recordings, Gunn, who handles the arrangements and production, performs primarily on the concert classical C flute, but also plays bamboo flutes, wooden and tin whistles, synthesizers and a wide variety of drums and percussion instruments (and he occasionally adds background singing and chanting). But he also brings in special guest musicians which have included Yanni violinist Karen Briggs, cellist Sachi McHenry Patitucci, acoustic guitarists Zavier and John Bishoff (who also plays in his live back up band), and various vocalists including Holland Zander (Robin Zander of Cheap Trick’s daughter), Casandra Sheard, Robert Miano, and Navajo Razor Saltboy.

Having been born in England, Nicholas studied for several years at Great Britain’s prestigious Royal School of Music before moving to the United States to finish his education. In the early Nineties, Gunn’s debut recording Afternoon in Sedona, was released and was a best-seller at national retail chains such as Natural Wonders and the Nature Company. Nicholas’ 9 subsequent albums each became a bestseller and went straight to the Billboard New Age charts, where they maintained success. The Music of the Grand Canyon was on the Billboard New Age charts for 32 weeks. In addition, Nicholas’ music has been featured on more than 20 compilation albums and has served as high-fidelity demo music for the speaker company Bose Audio, with whom he has licensed many of his titles. Nicholas’ music has also been used by the Mercedes Benz and Chrysler Corporations, and has been featured in several independent films and documentaries. Nicholas Gunn’s love for music has had a strong presence in his life since he was a child growing up in Rochester, England. His grandfather was a professional pedal steel guitarist, and Nicholas was fascinated by this. When Nicholas was young he saw classical flautist James Gallway perform on television and he told his parent’s he wanted to study flute. His music teacher was Mick Judson, a member of the Royal Marines Band and an instructor at the Royal School of Music, where Nicholas was soon enrolled . As a teenager, Nicholas’ family moved to Southern California and in school there he played flute in concert bands and wind ensembles, but also learned to play drums and percussion in the marching bands. "It’s interesting now to look back at that early musical training and see how it came to serve me well in my recording career. By learning two of music’s basic elements, --- rhythm through percussion and melody through flute-- it gave me a solid foundation for creating the sounds on my albums," Gunn explains. It was also here that Nichols began to build his own recording studio and learn production. Gunn’s releases under Gemini Sun Records include A Christmas Classic, which was named "Christmas Album of the Year" by the Borders Retail Chain, Through the Great Smoky Mountains- A Musical Journey, which was nominated for a prestigious AFIM award, The Great Southwest, Return to Grand Canyon, and his latest release, Journey to Yellowstone,. Nicholas is also featured on the compilation Seeking Serenity- Music for Relaxation and Reflection. The National Park series, in which Nicholas celebrates our nation’s protected nature reserves has also enabled Nicholas to engage in another project, to assist in the preservation of the natural wilderness that has always served to inspire him. For this series, Nicholas donates ten percent of the proceeds from each album back to organizations that are working to protect and preserve these National treasures. To date, Nicholas has donated over $130,000. "I want my music to accomplish several things," Gunn explains. "I want the music to stand on it’s own as an enjoyable experience with good melodies and arrangements. I believe that it captures the feeling and spirit that inspired it. I am happy to donate part of the proceeds from some of my albums to help preserve our natural landscapes, but really it is the fans that are buying my albums that are personally contributing. Most of all I hope my music helps people to concentrate on the positive effects of nature and our wilderness areas in order to help counterbalance all the negative things going on in our world."