Julian Lloyd Webber facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julian Lloyd Webber
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Lloyd Webber performing in 2013
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| Born | 14 April 1951 |
| Alma mater | Royal College of Music |
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| Years active | 1971–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Celia Ballantyne
(m. 1974; div. 1989)Zohra Mahmoud Ghazi
(m. 1989; div. 1998)Kheira Bourahla
(m. 2001; div. 2008)Jiaxin Cheng
(m. 2009) |
| Children | 2 |
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Julian Lloyd Webber (born April 14, 1951) is a famous British cellist, conductor, and music teacher. He used to be the head of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and started a music education program called In Harmony. He is also the younger brother of the well-known composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Julian Lloyd Webber grew up in a musical family. His father, William Lloyd Webber, was a composer and music teacher. His mother, Jean Johnstone, taught piano. His older brother is Andrew Lloyd Webber, who wrote many famous musicals.
Julian received a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in 1968. He finished his studies with the famous cellist Pierre Fournier in Geneva in 1973.
Music Career
Julian Lloyd Webber first performed as a professional cellist in London in September 1972. He played the cello concerto by Sir Arthur Bliss for the first time in London.
Throughout his career, he worked with many different musicians. These included famous conductors like Yehudi Menuhin and Georg Solti. He also played with pianists such as Clifford Curzon and even popular artists like Elton John. People often called him the "doyen of British cellists," which means he was considered one of the best and most respected cellists in Britain.
Famous Recordings
Lloyd Webber made many recordings during his career. One of his most famous was the Elgar Cello Concerto, which won a BRIT Award. BBC Music Magazine even called it the best version ever.
He also recorded the Dvořák Cello Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme. Another important recording was of Britten's Cello Symphony and Walton's Cello Concerto. A magazine called Gramophone said this recording was "beyond any rival."
He also recorded many shorter pieces for Universal Classics. Some of these albums include Made in England and Cello Moods.
New Music for Cello
Julian Lloyd Webber helped bring many new pieces of music to life. He was the first to record over 50 new works for the cello. Many composers wrote music specifically for him. These composers included Malcolm Arnold, Joaquín Rodrigo, James MacMillan, and Philip Glass.
He also performed new works in concerts. For example, he played Michael Nyman's Double Concerto on BBC Television. He also performed Philip Glass's Cello Concerto at the Beijing International Festival.
Later Career
In May 2009, Lloyd Webber became the President of the Elgar Society. This is a group dedicated to the composer Edward Elgar.
In April 2014, he announced he would stop performing as a cellist. This was because of a neck injury that affected his bowing arm. His last public performance as a cellist was on May 2, 2014.
After retiring from performing, he continued to be involved in music. In September 2014, he became a public spokesman for the charity Live Music Now. This charity helps bring music to people who might not otherwise experience it.
In July 2015, Lloyd Webber was chosen to be the Principal (or head) of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
He also presented TV and radio shows about classical music. In 2016, he presented 'Classic Cellists at the BBC' for BBC TV. In 2019, he presented 'Music in the Air: 100 years of Elgar's Cello Concerto' for Classic FM.
More recently, in 2021, he presented a series for Classic FM called "30 under 30." In this series, he highlighted talented young musicians. Sky Arts also showed a TV special called "Classic FM's Rising Stars with Julian Lloyd Webber." He continued this series in 2022 and 2023, helping more young musicians get noticed. In November 2023, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the London Cello Society.
Helping Music Education
Julian Lloyd Webber has always cared deeply about music education. In 2003, he started the Music Education Consortium with other musicians like James Galway. This group worked hard to get more money for music education in the UK. Because of their efforts, the UK government announced a large amount of funding for music education in 2007.
In 2008, the British government asked Lloyd Webber to lead their In Harmony program. This program is based on a successful music education system from Venezuela called El Sistema. The In Harmony projects have been very successful, giving "life-changing experiences" to young people. In 2011, the founder of El Sistema in Venezuela recognized In Harmony as part of the worldwide El Sistema network.
Lloyd Webber also fought against changes that would remove arts subjects from the main school curriculum. In 2013, the government changed its plans because of campaigns like the one he led. He has spoken about the importance of arts education on many TV and radio shows.
In 2021, he was part of a group that created the UK government's Model Music Curriculum. He also supports several charities that help young musicians and music education.
Leading the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Julian Lloyd Webber became the head of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in July 2015. During his five years there, he oversaw some big changes. The Conservatoire moved into a new, modern building. Also, it joined with the Birmingham School of Acting. In September 2017, Queen Elizabeth II gave the Conservatoire "Royal" status. When he finished his time as Principal in September 2020, he was named an Emeritus Professor by Birmingham City University.
Awards and Recognition
Julian Lloyd Webber has received many awards for his contributions to music.
- In 1998, he received the Crystal Award at the World Economic Forum.
- In 2005, Classic FM gave him a Red Award for his outstanding services to music.
- He won the Best British Classical Recording at the 1986 Brit Awards for his recording of Elgar's Cello Concerto.
- He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Music in 1994.
- He has received honorary doctorates from several universities.
- In May 2001, he was given the first official "busker's licence" to play music on the London Underground.
- In 2012, he was the only classical musician chosen to perform at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.
- In April 2014, he received the Distinguished Musician Award from the Incorporated Society of Musicians.
- In 2021, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to music.
He is also involved with many organizations. He is a vice president of the Delius Society and a patron of Music in Hospitals. He has been an ambassador for the Prince's Trust and a patron of CLIC Sargent for over thirty years.
Personal Life
Julian Lloyd Webber has been married four times. In 1974, he married Celia Ballantyne. Later, he married Zohra Mahmoud Ghazi, with whom he had a son. His third marriage was to Kheira Bourahla. In 2009, he married fellow cellist Jiaxin Cheng, and they have a daughter.
He is a big fan of the Leyton Orient football club.
Images for kids
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Lloyd Webber performing in 2013
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Lloyd Webber studied at the Royal College of Music in London.
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Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
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Julian Lloyd Webber and Jiaxin Lloyd Webber, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire 2018
See also
In Spanish: Julian Lloyd Webber para niños
