Llyr Williams
Llŷr Williams wins South Bank Sky Arts Award
Broadcast on the Sky Arts television channel on 1 May 2012, Llŷr Williams was announced as the winner of the South Bank Sky Arts Award, in the Classical category, for his Beethoven Sonata Cycle at Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh in August 2011.
The ceremony took place at The Dorchester Hotel in London, where the leaders of the contemporary British arts scene gathered to celebrate. These awards are now in their sixteenth year and represent the entire spectrum of British arts, from visual arts to opera, television drama to dance, film to literature. The Master of Ceremonies was Melvin Bragg and other winners this year included Michael Frayn, Grayson Perry, Sophie Bevan, Kate Bush, Claire Tomalin, Arthur Pita, Terry Gilliam and the team of the BBC's recent Sherlock series.
This is a high profile and very well deserved award which recognises Llŷr Williams' astonishing, unique and profound musicianship, along with the epic nature of this project (encompassing all 32 sonatas in just 2 weeks!) Further complete cycles are planned in London and Glasgow in the future.
Llŷr Williams started 2012 with a mixture of solo piano recitals, performances with both chamber and symphony orchestras as well as chamber music engagements.
In February 2012 Williams toured five major concert venues in Scotland with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No5 under the baton of Andrew Manze. Early March in 2012 saw Williams’ return to Wigmore Hall where he performed a programme comprised of early German romantic composers and the composers belonging to the Second Viennese School. Most recently he performed Bartok’s Piano Concerto No.3 with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
By far the strongest performance was that of the Third Piano Concerto of Rózsa's Hungarian compatriot Béla Bartók, with Llyr Williams as soloist. Articulating the music's valedictory tone with his usual perception and acute sensibilities, Williams also deployed the pianistic detail with a vast range of expressive colour. It was exemplary.
Highly sought after in the United Kingdom, summer period will see Williams’ return to East Neuk Festival where he will appear three times featuring programme comprised of three late Beethoven Sonatas, Mendelssohn’s Song’s Without Words and Liszt’s transcriptions among other pieces.
This years’ highlight will be Williams’ return to Edinburgh Festival for the third time where he will give a recital entirely comprised of Liszt’s music. This will coincide with the release of his second solo disc on Signum records where he performs lesser known pieces by this distinguished Hungarian composer.
BRINGING ON BEETHOVEN
Llŷr Williams in Conversation with Edward Seckerson
Welsh pianist, Llŷr Williams, talked to music journalist and broadcaster Edward Seckerson about his career and current immersion in the music of Beethoven, particularly the complete sonatas which he performed in an epic two-week season at Greyfriars Kirk as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in summer 2011.
Listen to the Podcast at the Independent.co.uk.
Beethoven Cycle
Following the critically acclaimed success of the 2010 Beethoven sonata cycle in Perth, 2011 saw Llŷr Williams perform all 32 of the composer's sonatas once more, this time across just 14 days at Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh.
For further details on Llŷr's other engagements in the coming year, please follow the 'Concert Dates' link in the left hand column.
