Joshua Batty Artist Interview

Joshua Batty: Expanding the Boundaries of the Flute

Having recently stepped down from his role as Principal Flute with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, UK-born flutist Joshua Batty is now focusing on solo performances, chamber music, and teaching worldwide. In this interview, he reflects on his time with the Sydney Symphony, his plans for the future, and his vision for the flute, as well as offering advice for young musicians.

Joshua, you’ve recently stepped down from your position as Principal Flute with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. That must have been a difficult decision. Can you tell us a little about your time and your final weeks there?

It was indeed a significant decision, one that took about 18 months to make, and it wasn’t made lightly.

I relocated from Europe to take the job in 2018, and the SSO and its people have been my home away from home for the past six years. As we all know, these were tumultuous times globally, but I truly loved my time with the SSO and felt incredibly supported and welcomed in Australia. It was where I found a lot of who I am both as an artist and as a person. I gave everything I could, both in my music and in my relationships with those around me, and I’m deeply grateful for that entire chapter.

My last few weeks were incredibly special for a variety of reasons. I had the chance to perform C.P.E. Bach’s G Major Flute Concerto with Simone Young directing from the harpsichord, which had been a long-term personal goal of mine. It felt especially meaningful given the intimate size of the orchestra.

In stark contrast, we later performed Wagner’s Die Walküre—a grand, epic piece—a true marathon where I could sit back, listen to the incredible singers, and watch Simone at her best. Then, in my final week, we performed The Rite of Spring with Vasily Petrenko, which was a particularly memorable experience, involving one of the largest orchestras possible and allowing us to go out with a bang. It was extra special to play beside many of my closest friends who were guesting at the time, and I even got to dust off the alto flute!

The first half of that performance was deeply emotional for me, knowing it would be my last time playing with some of my closest friends.

What are your plans for the next few years, and which projects or collaborations are you especially excited about?

I’m grateful to have recently joined a roster of exceptional musicians at Emblem Artists, based out of Melbourne. Together, we’re working on exciting performance and recording projects, both in Australia and internationally. We’re also focused on commissioning new flute solos, chamber pieces, and concertos.

This year, I’ll be touring Australia with solo and chamber recitals in festivals including Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Townsville, and South Australia. These performances will feature many cornerstones of the flute repertoire, along with some new commissions. Some of the highlights include the Prokofiev Sonata arranged for flute and string quartet, George Crumb's Vox Balaenae, the world premieres of Nocturne for Flute and Piano by Sir Stephen Hough, extracts from Harry Sdraulig’s new Flute Concerto, Disordered Folly by Simon Holt, and several exciting chamber works.

In 2025, I’ll also be performing and teaching in England, Scotland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, New Zealand, and the USA. I’m eager to introduce these new works to new audiences.

Over the next few years, I’ll be premiering new flute concertos by Harry Sdraulig and Nigel Westlake, both with orchestras in Australia and internationally. I’m also looking forward to touring and recording with the fabulous pianist Somi Kim of the New Zealand Trio. I’m beyond thrilled to collaborate with these incredible musicians and festivals.

What are your thoughts on the flute as an instrument?

That’s such a great and open-ended question. We’ve all heard the phrase, "The flute is like the human voice," and I wholeheartedly agree. We have no resistance in the flute; much like the voice, we shape our sound by controlling our air over an empty space. It’s as close as it gets to an unresistant and free voice.

The human voice, and music in general, encompasses the full spectrum of humanity—capturing both light and dark, with every shade in between. The flute is often associated with lightness, bel canto, or elegance, but this is just one angle. I am passionate about showing that the flute is an essentially limitless vehicle for human expression, emotionally and in terms of color flexibility. It can express everything from lament to joy, and I am dedicated to commissioning new works that explore the full spectrum of the human experience.

Great composers write deeply emotional, soul-stirring solos for the flute because it is capable of such depth. This is why the flute features so prominently in Eastern traditions and meditation music. I aim to showcase this vulnerability and human journey in both existing repertoire and in new works that push the boundaries of the flute’s resonance, dynamics, and color.

There’s a raw, soulful, and almost primitive side to the flute that often goes unrecognized. Works like the Nielsen Concerto and Prokofiev’s Sonata embody these features wonderfully, and I want more of that. I envision solo repertoire that captures the emotions found in Mahler’s 9th or 10th symphonies, Shostakovich’s eerie flute soli, and Brahms’ 4th Symphony solos. The Prokofiev Sonata, for example, embodies nostalgia, lament, rage, jazz, folk, militance, oppression, joy, satire, lust, glee, and more—all within 25 minutes. The flute is incredibly versatile, capable of transporting listeners across these worlds, and it’s this vision that drives my commissioning of new works for the flute over the next decade.

In the coming years, I will be giving masterclasses and writing about how to produce this versatility in terms of technique—using our anatomy, akin to an opera singer, to find our own vocal flexibility and resonance on the flute.

Do you have any advice for young musicians?

My advice to young musicians is to follow what feels true to you, to be honest with yourself in every aspect—whatever that looks like—and trust that this authenticity will manifest in your art. Crucially, ask yourself why you are pursuing certain goals. Pursue meaning over validation or success, map out what you want to express as a whole human, and remember that the stakes are never that serious. Don’t be afraid to follow your passions, and above all, have fun with it.

How can people follow your movements, recordings, or general updates?

You can follow me on Instagram @joshuabattyflute or visit my websites joshbatty.com and emblemartists.com for the latest updates and recordings. If you'd like to get in touch about anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

I will be offering classes and a performance at Flute World SF on Saturday, May 3rd (details to be announced on their socials), with a likely live stream for those who can't attend in person.

Joshua Batty is an internationally renowned flutist who joined the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as Principal Flute in 2019 at the age of 27, following a two-year tenure in the same position with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in Ireland. He studied with Michael Cox on a full scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music in London, supported by Sir Elton John and the Leverhulme Trust, and also trained at HEMGE in Switzerland with Jacques Zoon.

Over the past decade, Batty has performed as guest Principal Flute with more than 30 leading orchestras worldwide. His solo career has seen critical acclaim at venues such as Buckingham Palace, Sydney Opera House, and the National Concert Hall in Dublin. Committed to expanding the flute repertoire, he has commissioned and premiered works by composers including Sir Stephen Hough, Harry Sdraulig, and Nigel Westlake.

Passionate about education, Joshua has taught at the RNCM and the University of Melbourne and has raised over $50,000 through charity concerts for various causes worldwide.