Flute virtuoso James Galway will bring his Legacy Tour to Athens at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 7 at Hodgson Concert Hall.

Sir James will be joined by his wife, Lady Jeanne Galway, and the Galway Chamber Players for a concert that will include Mozart’s Flute Quartet in D Major, Debussy’s "Clair de Lune," Bizet’s "Carmen Fantasy" and Henry Mancini’s "Pennywhistle Jig" and "Baby Elephant Walk."

Galway is recognized around the globe as the supreme interpreter of the classical flute repertoire and an entertainer whose appeal crosses all musical boundaries. Through his extensive touring, more than 30 million albums sold and frequent international television appearances, he has endeared himself to millions worldwide.

Born in Belfast, Galway studied in London and Paris and began his orchestral career with the Royal Philharmonic and London Symphony orchestras. Since embarking as a soloist in 1975, Galway has performed with the world’s leading orchestras and played for such dignitaries as Queen Elizabeth, Pope John Paul II, Presidents Bill Clinton, George H.W. and George W. Bush, the empress of Japan, the Queen of Norway and, most recently, Israeli President Shimon Peres.

He has shared the stage with a wide array of entertainers, including Stevie Wonder, Henry Mancini, John Denver, Elton John, the Chieftains, Ray Charles, Joni Mitchell, Jessye Norman, Cleo Laine and Andrea Bocelli. He performed with Pink Floyd at the Berlin Wall, was part of the Nobel Peace concert in Norway and performed at the G Seven Summit hosted by Queen Elizabeth in Buckingham Palace.

Galway has been honored twice by Queen Elizabeth II with the Order of the British Empire in 1979 and again in 2001 with knighthood.

Mary Helen Still, a graduate assistant in musicology at UGA, will give a pre-concert lecture 45 minutes prior to the performance. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Galway’s concert will be recorded for broadcast on American Public Media’s Performance Today.

Tickets are $20-$59 with discounts for UGA students. They may be purchased online at pac.uga.edu or by calling the box office at 706-542-4400 or toll free at 888-289-8497.