Neil has been a musician since he was 7. He started performing at age 12, and has done more than 1,500 performances in many parts of the world, many with his wife, singer / dancer Robyn Friend.
He started on the flute and flamenco guitar. As a teenager, he was introduced to a musician from Turkey (Ergun Tamer), and started studying and playing Ottoman art music. Just a few years later, he was introduced to a master musician from Iran (Ostâd Mortezâ Varzi), and started studying Persian art music. In addition to the flute — his main instrument — he has played the târ (a long-necked lute from Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey), the ney (the wooden flute of Turkey), and the kaval (the wooden flute of Bulgaria) each for more than 40 years. He is a long-time member of Professional Musicians Local 47, American Federation of Musicians, AFL-CIO. In addition to Ostâd Varzi, his music teachers, mentors, and models include Michael Tubridy, Elaine Shaffer, Ergun Tamer, J. Philip Harland, and Neyzen Fuat Tűrkleman.
