About

Jane Rutter’s beautiful flute playing has healing properties. Luminous, joyful, peaceful, sensual, restorative, meditative flute music to dream by! Jane is a Chevalier des arts et lettres( French Knight). She is proud to be a Haynes Artist

Described as a National Treasure, Jane Rutter is an internationally revered voice of the flute: an artist of exceptional distinction whose 28 albums, spanning more than three decades of acclaimed recordings, have established her as one of Australia’s most significant and singular musical figures. An Australian-French flutist and concert soloist of rare artistry, she was knighted by France Chevalier de l’order des arts et lettres, is a leading exponent of the French Flute School, and is a proud Haynes Artist, with WMS Haynes hailing her as a Flute superstar. Renowned for her onstage warmth, she brings to performance a radiant combination of passion, technical brilliance, and expressive elegance.

Rutter’s career embodies interpretive mastery, cultural leadership, and an enduring commitment to expanding the reach of classical music and crossover repertoire. More than a soloist of international calibre, she is a visionary builder of musical communities, creating environments in which music becomes a shared cultural experience. As the founder and artistic director of Live at Lunch, she transformed Sydney’s midday into a cherished civic ritual of exceptional music-making. Through her curatorial leadership, the series has united diverse repertoires, artists, and audiences, helping to embed a living culture at the heart of the city. Her work as producer and performer encompasses hundreds of concerts throughout Australia and internationally, and she played a pivotal role in establishing the Sydney Opera House’s (now named) Utzon Room as an esteemed chamber-music venue, presenting some of the earliest concerts that secured its place in the city’s musical life.

A true pioneer, Rutter bridges tradition and contemporaneity with uncommon fluency. For decades she has traversed classical music, theatre, jazz, world music, and cabaret, moving with authority from the historic classical cabaret of the Tilbury Hotel to Mozart flute concertos at the Sydney Opera House, as well as live and televised performances on international stages. In doing so, she has opened pathways for audiences and fellow artists alike, offering a compelling gateway into the classical repertoire and its fruitful dialogues with other musical languages.

As an innovator, Rutter expanded the flute’s expressive vocabulary with Don Burrows through the exploration of percussive techniques on the instrument — a trailblazing contribution that anticipated, and helped inspire the global rise of flute beatboxing, now embraced by many performers. With her chamber ensemble The Posh, she forged an early and influential model for high-level crossover, a path later reflected in landmark projects such as Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, where chamber music, tradition, and world music meet in rigorous and emotionally resonant conversation.

Her international standing is further reflected in her collaborations with leading artists and in the elegance with which she shapes repertoire, form, and narrative. Yet what most profoundly distinguishes Jane Rutter is her humanity: critics and audiences alike consistently recognise her rare warmth, generosity, and capacity to uplift and console through music. For her historical significance, artistic excellence, cultural leadership, creative courage, and profound communicative power, Jane Rutter stands as an artist of enduring consequence — one whose work honours the past, animates the present, and expands the future of classical music and its contemporary crossovers.

At a Glance:

• French Knight: Chevalier de l’ordre des arts et des lettres, awarded for services to French music and culture

• 28 solo albums to date, plus many singles — including four albums of original compositions. Several albums reached No. 1 on the Australian classical charts

• Multi-ARIA nominee (Australia’s premier recording-industry award)

• Haynes Artist — plays a custom-made solid 10K gold Haynes flute (#53400) and an 1887 silver-and-gold Louis Lot flute

• Non-resident Fellow of the Australian Institute of Music for outstanding achievement and service to music). Mentored many younger professional musicians

• Studied in Paris on a French Government scholarship with Jean-Pierre Rampal, Alain Marion, and Raymond Guiot (3 years) 

• Lectured in flute, performance pedagogy, and chamber music at The Sydney Conservatorium of Music (her alma mater).

• Founder and Artistic Director of Live at Lunch, one of Australia’s most successful lunchtime concert series, held at The Concourse, Chatswood, Sydney.

• Australia Day Ambassador and one of Who Magazine’s 30 Most Beautiful People. Featured on 60 Minutes, in Vogue Magazine, and a cover subject for The Weekend Australian.

• A national treasure: One of Australia’s leading flautists and recording artists, with more than three decades of acclaimed albums, admired both nationally and internationally.

• Pioneer of percussive flute technique (with Don Burrows) that anticipated and influenced flute beatboxing, shaping a generation of contemporary players.

• Trailblazer and Cultural leader blending classical music with theatre, jazz, world music, and cabaret —inspiring and helping pave the way for artists such as Hauser and many others. Provides social inclusion and high-level artistic encounters to wider public

• Australian icon. Renaissance woman.Pioneered bringing fine classical music to the people.

• Devised, co-produced and starred in hundreds of concerts nationally and internationally.

• Introduced some of the first concerts at the Sydney Opera House Utzon Room, helping to establish it as a major chamber music venue

Latest Albums   AMORE: Timeless Italian Flute and Guitar, and Meditations on Australia

 

Instruments of the breath are closest to the heart. To make music out of the act of breathing is an early form of alchemy: the breath which keeps us alive, harnessed becomes the music that feeds our souls. At age thirteen my musical spirit was enchanted by the Balinese bamboo flute players in Ubud, Bali…later it was in Paris that I drew inspiration from my flute teachers, Jean-Pierre Rampal and Alain Marion. For me flute is an instrument of connection and reconciliation. In Ovid’s Metamorphosis, Pan’s breath on the reeds makes a beautiful sound, which transforms the nymph, Syrinx, into the flute or panpipes…The flute is the oldest instrument known to man, dating back some 40,000 years. In every civilisation on every continent there is to be found a flute. The flute is mankind’s second voice… Jane Rutter

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Jane Rutter is a generous and brilliant flautist of the highest calibre…Jane Rutter est une flûtiste brillante et engagée, du plus haut niveau. – Jean-Pierre Rampal

Jane Rutter honours the French Flute School each time she picks up her flute to play… Jane’s playing breathes contemporary life into the French Flute School’s exalted status and recalls its glorious past. I thank and applaud Jane for her passion and enthusiasm, and give her a “bravissimo” for her superb talent!’ Raymond Guiot, Professor of Flute, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris.

A star of the flute…Une étoile de la flute. -London Daily Mail

A Jane Rutter speciality is sparkling flute playing. Her strength lies in a dexterous brilliance, which scoffs at the need to breathe. She has a bright clear tone and excels in moments of whimsical and dancing precision. Sydney Morning Herald

Ms. Rutter’s interpretations of the popular Four Seasons Concerti are vibrant and innovative. The entire CD is lovely to listen to, with Jane Rutter’s wholesome and impeccable artistry soaring throughout. Ms. Rutter does an exemplary job…Her work is outstanding and deserves a full house standing ovation. –Viviana Guzman, The Flute View (USA)

Jane Rutter, with her effortless long vocal-lines, her beautiful tone and her sensitive and expressive musicianship, is one of the great flute players…Jane Rutter, dont le souffle mélodique est facile, l’expression musicale et le ton à la fois beaux et sensibles est une très grande flûtiste. -Richard Bonynge AC, CBE, Commandeur de l’Ordre National des Arts et des Lettres

Jane Rutter is “The divine Miss R”. She’s a classical siren in whose hands the flute becomes and instrument of seduction and sensual pleasure. –The Weekend Australian (cover story).

Doing the unexpected and making it work is something Rutter has made a specialty of during her long career…She added sex appeal to the flute repertoire and was a trail blazer for other musicians moving into other genres. -Sunday Telegraph

Jane Rutter is one of the finest flautists this country has produced. She plays classical as well as everything else. She is a free spirit, one of the blessed people. -The Sunday Age

Jane Rutter Flute Longer Full Bio:

Flute superstar internationally-acclaimed concert soloist Australian-French flutist Jane Rutter, was knighted by France (Chevalier des arts et lettres). Her beautiful flute playing has healing properties. Luminous joyful peaceful sensual restorative flute music to dream by! 

Considered to be a major early influencer in classical music, Jane Rutter is renowned for her quicksilver technique, onstage warmth, musical imagination and audience rapport, Jane’s theatricality and musicianship have been recognised by her peers as pushing the boundaries of the French Flute school. She has popularised the flute and is a pioneer in classical music relaxation albums and flute meditation music. Jane Rutter brilliantly conveys passion, sparkling technique and elegance of expression through her divine flute playing. Jane is proud to be a  Haynes Artist ( flute makers WMS Haynes), a classical trailblazer who has devoted her life to French flute playing in a career that spans decades. Jane is an expert in the French Flute School, and describes herself as a bel canto flute player — a term coined by disciples of the Jean-Pierre Rampal School.

Jane Rutter was knighted by France (Chevalier des Arts et Lettres) for her contribution to French Music and culture. (‘Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters’ is a French government award to recognise significant contribution to Arts & Literature). She is considered an expert in the French Flute School, and describes herself as a bel canto flute player — a term coined by disciples of the Rampal School.

Awarded a French government scholarship, Jane studied in Paris for three years with Alain Marion, Jean-Pierre Rampal, and Raymond Guiot. Alain Marion, Jean-Pierre Rampal, and Raymond Guiot. She has lectured in flute, performance pedagogy and chamber music at her alma mater, Sydney University’s Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and often gives flute masterclasses, and all-instruments masterclasses.

ABC’s Limelight cover article [2007] depicted Jane as “a leading female influence in the world of classical music”. ABC Classic FM’s Christopher Lawrence described her as “one of Australia’s leading performance artists”. 

Jane Rutter’s performances range from recitals and music festivals to theatre and cabaret venues, from the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall to baroque recitals at La Sainte Chapelle, Paris. Her classical career is enhanced by her skills in world music, music theatre, film, composition and improvisation. Jane has appeared in the UK, Japan, Europe, USA, South-East Asia, South America, and India.

In 2018 Jane toured China as a special invitee of the People’s Republic of China. Her early one-woman classical-cabaret show Tutti-Flutti was nominated for an Edinburgh Fringe award. Another early project, the chamber-funk group, was POSH (reformed in 2017 as Third Culture World Chamber Music). In POSH Jane pioneered percussive flute techniques, now known as flute beat boxing. The group POSH was a forerunner of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble.

Jane has released 28 top-selling solo albums (including four of original compositions). A further two solo albums, AMORE: Timeless Italian Flute and Guitar with virtuoso guitarist Giuseppe Zangari, and Meditations on Australia, a solo flute album of largely original compositions were released in 2025.

Jane was made a non-resident Fellow of the Australian Institute of Music for her outstanding achievements and services to music. She is an award-winning TV presenter and multi-ARIA (Australian Grammy) nominee.

Jane Rutter was a founding member of the Sydney Youth Orchestra. An alumnus of Sydney University, prior to studying in Paris Jane studied with Victor McMahon, Margaret Crawford, Don Burrows and Michael Scott. Jane Rutter  translated for Alain Marion in his summer masterclasses at l’Academie Internationale d’Eté de Nice. Jane performed at the NFA Flute Convention [2001], and was patron of the Australian International Flute Convention [2005]. In 2016 she was the select artist to perform the annual tribute to Alain Marion at his residence in Collias, France. She is the only Australian ever to have been invited to perform at La Vième Convention de la Flûte Francaise, 2016. Its title ’Flute Spirit’ was created courtesy of Jane.

Jane has performed with Richard Bonynge, Pascale Rogé, Christopher Hogwood, Yvonne Kenny, Gerard Willems, Simon Tedeschi, Tamara-Anna Cislowska, Elena Kats-Chernin, Taryn Fiebig, The Manhattan Transfer, Tommy Emmanuel, James Morrison, Janis Siegel, Tina Arena, Slava & Leonard Grigoryan, Greta Bradman, Peter Cousens, Daisy Cousens, Teddy Tahu-Rhodes, David Hobson, David Campbell, Archie Roach, Giuseppe Zangari, Tommy Tycho, Michael Crawford, Slava & Leonard Grigoryan, Teddy Tahu-Rhodes, Peter Cousens, Peter Coleman-Wright, Little Pattie, Drew Forsythe, James Morrison, Guy Noble and others, and has appeared on the same bill as Luciano Pavarotti, Dame Edna Everage (Barry Humphries), Marcia Hines, Amici Forever, Michael Crawford and José Carreras, Christine Anu, Sam Neill, Emma Pask and Bryan Brown . 

She has appeared as a soloist with The Australian Chamber Orchestra, The Queensland, Adelaide, West Australian and Sydney Symphony Orchestras, Sinfonia Australis (Pinchgut Opera Orchestra), The Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, The Australian Pops Orchestra, The Sydney Bach Orchestra and the City of Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra. 

Together with Don Burrows, Jane Rutter expanded possibilities of the flute by using the flute as a percussive instrument—an approach that later developed into the international phenomenon of flute beatboxing, influencing a generation of contemporary players.

For her album Titania’s Dream: Puck’s Flute on a Midsummer’s Night Jane collaborated with Janis Siegel , Peter ‘Reggie’ Bowman , Virgil Donati, Tom E Lewis and Oscar nominee David Hirschfelder 

Jane played the role of Titania in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Diane Cilento’s  Karnak Playhouse. 

Rap group Migos used a sample of Jane’s flute throughout their mega-hit Bosses Don’t Speak [2016]

Jane was featured soloist in Yantra de Vilder’s award winning film Home a Place of Belonging [2021].

Jane is a household name in Australia, recognised as a great champion of the flute who plays many of the 100+ classical and world flutes in her collection. She was featured in a 60 Minutes TV profile, in Vogue magazine, and Who magazine (30 Most Beautiful People). France’s premier flute magazine La Traversière / Traversières presented a feature article on Jane in 2013.

An Artistic Director, Jane’s Live at Lunch series at The Concourse, Chatswood, is one of Australia’s most successful lunch-hour concert series. Since its launch, Jane has gifted hundreds of thousand of dollars of her time to the series.

Following studies in Paris, Jane Rutter founded The Music Scheme, which provided young Australian professional musicians with performance opportunities and thousands of dollars of work. 

Jane has produced many concerts at the Sydney Opera House, toured for Musica Viva and performed with The Seymour Group, The Australia Ensemble,and worked as principal flute in the Elizabethan Trust Orchestra (Australian Opera Orchestra).

In 2012 The Australian Elizabethan Trust awarded Jane a fellowship grant that culminated in a definitive film on the Rampal French Flute School. Its soundtrack album, An Australian in Paris was No. 1 on the Australian classical charts, and was nominated for an ARIA (Australian Grammy) award. 

Jane launched a recent Australian Music Examinations Board flute syllabus. Her composition Partita for Solo Flute, (based on that of Bach and recommended by Raymond Guiot) is dedicated to AlainMarion and was included in the syllabus.

Currently based in Sydney, Jane regularly performs in her other hometown of Paris. She often receives standing ovations for her flute concerts. 

From her first iconic album, Nocturnes and Preludes for Flute, Jane’s sublime flute playing has seen recent releases Vivaldi The Four Seasons, French Kiss, Flute Spirit: Dreams and Meditations; Third Culture, Evening Stars, and Pan and the Angels. her 27th and 28th albums are AMORE: Timeless Italian Flute and Guitar, and Meditations on Australia

For the last 20 years Jane has presented the history of the Flute from an anthropological point of view. The earliest instrument known to man, the flute dates back 40,000 years- a tool of communication for early man before language became sophisticated. Various flute gods and deities, and different flutes are found all over the world. ‘With this in mind, it comes as no surprise to me that the great French school of flute playing (particularly the Rampal school) views the flute as a second voice… 

Pan is the demigod of the flute, and the word Pan implies everything. I praise and encourage all flute players to find the voice within, and to share the narrative of their flute with the world’. – Jane Rutter

Jane is proud to be a Haynes Artist. Wm. S. Haynes Com playing on a beautiful custom-made solid 10K gold with silver keys: Haynes Flute #53400. 

Jane also plays a silver and gold 1887 Louis Lot Flute SN:4742, which accompanied Charles Molé to Boston in 1890, and is the ancestor of her Haynes flute. Her preferred flute dealer and repairer is Flutes and Flutists Australia

Jane Rutter French Flute, Flute Spirit 

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