University News Last updated 25 February
Emeritus Professor and former RBC Principal Julian Lloyd Webber will celebrate his 75th birthday on Tuesday 14 April with the launch of his autobiography, Bows and Arrows, and a return to the stage after 12 years.
Bows and Arrows features vivid descriptions of Julian’s childhood in one of the world’s most famous musical dynasties, as well as the candid retelling of stories from his collaborations with Elton John, Philip Glass and his brother Andrew Lloyd Webber. There are also frank depictions of the classical music profession, including the cut-throat world of agents, promoters, record companies, violin dealers and the prevalence of substance abuse.
With honesty and humour, Julian recounts the break-up of three of his four marriages. He also shares his lifelong passion that every child should have the opportunity to play a musical instrument and his life following the 2014 injury that forced him to step down from playing the cello.
This loss prompted Julian’s new career as an educator with his appointment as RBC Principal and as a champion of music education, working closely with politicians including Gordon Brown, Michael Gove and Boris Johnson.
The autobiography culminates in Julian’s return to the stage for the first time in 12 years at the sold-out Wigmore Hall concert on Tuesday 14 April, where he will be joined by Junior Conservatoire alumna Lauren Zhang who won BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2018, alumni Rebeca Omordia and Edward Leung, as well as Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason who made their recital debut at RBC.