Julian Lloyd Webber

Biography

Widely regarded as one of the most creative musicians of his generation, and now leading the British Government’s In Harmony programme, Julian Lloyd Webber is an experienced musical authority and world-renowned cellist.

Having won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music at the age of sixteen, Julian went on to study in Geneva with the acclaimed French cellist, Pierre Fournier. Since then, he has collaborated with an extraordinary array of musicians, from Yehudi Menuhin to Elton John, and has worked to encourage and support music education and excellence in the UK.

Julian has won numerous awards for his services to music, including the Crystal Award (presented at the World Economic Forum in 1998) and the Classic FM Red Award. In 1994, he was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Music.

As a cellist, Julian has made many outstanding recordings, including his Brit-Award winning Elgar Concerto conducted by Yehudi Menuhin (chosen as the ‘finest ever’ version by BBC Music Magazine), the Dvořák Concerto with Vaclav Neumann and the Czech Philharmonic, and Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations with the London Symphony under Maxim Shostakovich. His coupling of Britten’s Cello Symphony and Walton’s Concerto with Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields was described by Gramophone as ‘beyond any rival’. Julian has also recorded several hugely successful CDs of short pieces, premiered over fifty new works and inspired new compositions from composers such as Malcolm Arnold,Joaquin Rodrigo and Philip Glass. His latest recordings include Phantasia, a work based on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera and featuring violinist Sarah Chang and Unexpected Songs.

As the leader of In Harmony, the British Government's new music programme, Julian is working to promote personal and community development in some of England's most deprived areas, through orchestral-based learning and musical experiences. Launched in January 2009, the first three In Harmony projects are currently taking place in Lambeth, Liverpool and Norwich. For more information, visit www.inharmonyengland.com.

Julian is President of the Elgar Society. He is also a life-long supporter of Leyton Orient football club and was the first official busker on the London tube network.

Julian plays the ‘Barjansky’ Stradivarius cello (c. 1690).

                                                        www.julianlloydwebber.com

For all press enquiries, please contact Karen Pitchford at

KHJ Communications on +44(0)20 8292 2862

email