Llŷr Williams

One of the most outstanding pianists of his generation, Llŷr Williams brings an extraordinary musical intelligence to all his work, as soloist, accompanist and chamber musician. In 2005 he made his Proms début with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jiri Belohlavek, opened the Queen’s Hall series at the Edinburgh Festival and appeared with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields at the Barbican’s Mostly Mozart Festival. Last season he returned to the Edinburgh International Festival for the fourth time, appearing with the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Osmo Vänskä as well as giving an extraordinary performance of Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata and Schubert’s Trout Quintet with the Hebrides Ensemble.

Williams has also recently appeared with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, London Mozart Players and the Hallé Orchestra. He performs regularly with Sinfonia Cymru and last autumn directed two Mozart Concerti from the keyboard as well as continuing the complete Beethoven Concerti series, culminating in a 10th Anniversary Concert with Bryn Terfel. In the winter of 2006, he completed a very successful tour of the United States with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and conductor Thierry Fischer.  

This coming season brings a busy mix of recitals and orchestra engagements.   Williams will give recitals throughout the UK, and makes his début in Hannover. He will perform a series of concerts with other Borletti-Buitoni Trust award winners in the US, including his début at Carnegie Hall. He will also give a series of three recitals at Perth Concert Hall, with violinist Alexander Janiczek: together they will be exploring Beethoven’s early sonatas for violin and piano. He works with BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Welsh National Opera Orchestra. He will also go to Milan to work with I Pomeriggi Musicali, performing Elliott Carter’s Dialogues and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy.

In 2005 Williams was awarded the MIDEM Classique ‘Outstanding Young Artist Award’ in partnership with the International Artist Managers’ Association. His first commercial CD featuring Chopin’s Préludes was released in March 2006 on the Quartz label. He is also the subject of a film - Y Pianydd – Llŷr Williams - by Opus TF for S4C (the Welsh language broadcaster) which recently won a Welsh BAFTA for Best Music Programme. The programme also won an award at the Celtic Media Festival, held on the Isle of Skye, for Best Entertainment Programme.
 
Born in 1976 in Pentrebychan, North Wales, Williams read music at The Queen’s College, Oxford, graduating in 1998 with a first class alpha degree. He went on to take up a postgraduate scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music where he won every prize and award. From 2000-02 he was a ‘Shinn’ Fellow at the Academy, coaching singers and studying conducting. He was also an active member of the Live Music Now! scheme for several years. In 2002, Williams was selected for the Young Concert Artists Trust scheme and received a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award in 2004.