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John Williams (guitarist)

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John Christopher Williams (born 24 April 1941) is one of the world's best-known classical guitarists.
John Williams
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John Williams

Contents

Biography

Born in Melbourne, Australia to a English father (Len Williams) and a Australian-Chinese mother, Williams was taught initially by his father. At the age of twelve he went to Italy to study under "The Maestro", Andrés Segovia. Later, he attended the Royal College of Music in London, studying piano because the school did not have a guitar department at the time. Upon graduation, he was offered the opportunity to create such a department. Being such a lover of the instrument, he seized the opportunity and ran it for the first two years. Williams has maintained links with the College (and with the Northern College in Manchester) ever since.

John Williams in performance
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John Williams in performance

Williams is best known as a classical guitarist, but has explored many different musical traditions. He has collaborated with Julian Bream and Paco Peña and was a member of the fusion group Sky. He is also a composer and arranger.

Williams has commissioned guitar concertos from composers such as Stephen Dodgson, André Previn, Patrick Gowers, Richard Harvey and Steve Gray. He has also worked with composers from his native Australia, including Phillip Houghton, Peter Sculthorpe, Ross Edwards (composer) and Nigel Westlake, to produce guitar works that capture the spirit of his homeland.

He enjoyed a worldwide hit single with his recording of Cavatina by Stanley Myers, used as the theme tune to the Oscar-winning film The Deer Hunter (1979). The piece had originally been written for piano, for another film ten years earlier, The Walking Stick (1970) but re-written for guitar and expanded by Myers at Williams' invitation. In 1973, Cleo Laine wrote lyrics and recorded the song "He Was Beautiful" accompanied by John Williams. A year later, it was a top 5 UK hit single for Iris Williams (no relation).

He is visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London.

Williams and his artist wife Kathy Panama reside in London and Australia.

Discography

Awards and Recognitions

'''Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance

External links

[http://encycl.opentopia.com/ edit]

[[Portal:Guitar>Visit the Guitar portal]].

 

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