Llŷr Williams

Welsh pianist Llŷr Williams is widely admired for his profound musical intelligence, and for the expressive and communicative nature of his interpretations. He has performed with all the major UK orchestras under conductors including Michael Tilson Thomas, Jiří Bělohlávek, Carlo Rizzi, Vasily Petrenko, Jaime Martín, Osmo Vänskä, Joseph Swensen, Grant Llewellyn and Jac Van Steen; he has a particularly longstanding relationship with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, with which he has in recent seasons performed concertos ranging from Mozart and Beethoven to Bartók and Mathias.

As a recitalist, Llŷr Williams regularly performs at venues and festivals including Wigmore Hall, Perth Concert Hall, the St David’s and Dora Stoutzker Halls in Cardiff, and the Edinburgh and East Neuk Festivals. His long association with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama has included acclaimed multi-recital cycles of Beethoven, Schubert, and Chopin. 2023-24 saw returns to the Festival Cultural de Mayo in Guadalajara for a complete Beethoven Sonata cycle, the Capital Region Classical series in Schenectady, USA, and Salle Bourgie in Montreal, as well as his debut at the ‘Le Piano Symphonique’ festival in Lucerne. Highlights of the 2024-25 season include a return to Wigmore Hall for two recitals, as well as the conclusion of a six-recital exploration of Haydn-Mozart-Schumann at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

Llŷr Williams has performed as a chamber musician alongside artists including Bryn Terfel, Natalie Clein, Tim Hugh, Katarina Nazarova and Jamie Barton. In 2023-34, collaborations included projects with Mark Padmore, violist Rosalind Ventris and baritone Andrei Kymach, while 2024-25 sees collaborations with violinists Maria Włoszczowska and Geneva Lewis. His particular interest in song repertoire is reflected in his 20-year association as one of the two official pianists of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition.

The discography of Llŷr Williams reflects his long-standing partnership with Signum Records. His latest recording, of works by Schumann, was released in January 2024 to great critical acclaim, and was both BBC Radio 3’s ‘Record of the Week’ and ‘Disque du jour’ on France Musique. His previous albums include the 8-disc box-set ‘A Schubert Journey’ (2020), the 12-volume ‘Beethoven Unbound’ (2018), a ‘Wagner Without Words’ double-CD (2014) and highlights from Liszt’s ‘Années de pèlerinage‘ (2012). He has also recorded William Mathias’ second Piano Concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, as well as works by Welsh composers for the Tŷ Cerdd label. November 2024 sees the release of his next recording for Signum Records, this time featuring Brahms’ early and late works.

A former BBC New Generation Artist and Borletti-Buitoni Trust award recipient, Llŷr Williams was born in Pentrebychan, North Wales, and read music at The Queen’s College, Oxford before taking up a postgraduate scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and in 2017 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Wales. He is also currently Artist-in-Association at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, a patron of the Gower Festival, and Associate Artist at the Cowbridge Festival.

Video

Chopin: Polonaise in F sharp minor, Op. 44

(Salle Bourgie, November 2023)

Mozart: Sonata in B-flat, K.333

(East Neuk Festival 2021)

Debussy: Reflets dans l’eau

(East Neuk Festival 2021)

Schubert: Fantasy Sonata in G, D894 & Sonata in C minor, D958

(Wigmore Hall, February 2021)

Concert Dates

June - December 2024
Date & Time Venue Details
Saturday 1st June
The Pembrokeshire Retreat, Rhoshill, United Kingdom Solo recital
Sunday 2nd June
The Pembrokeshire Retreat, Rhoshill, United Kingdom Solo recital
Thursday 4th July
St Boltoph’s Church, Cambridge, United Kingdom Recital with Geneva Lewis
Tuesday 9th July
Cheltenham, United Kingdom Recital with Geneva Lewis
Monday 15th July
Kings Lynn, United Kingdom Solo recital
Wednesday 17th July
Llandelio Festival, United Kingdom Solo recital
Thursday 22nd August
Y Tabernacl Auditorium, Powys, United Kingdom Solo recital
Saturday 24th August
Edinburgh, United Kingdom Recital with Sungho Kim
Saturday 14th September
Cowbridge, United Kingdom Solo recital
Thursday 17th October
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Cardiff, United Kingdom Solo recital
Saturday 19th October
Bristol, United Kingdom Beethoven Piano Concerto no.5 with Catherine Larsen-Maguire
Friday 15th November
Wigmore Hall, London, United Kingdom Solo recital

Links

Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
www.rwcmd.ac.uk
Signum Classics
www.signumrecords.com