John Williams
John Williams began playing guitar at the age of 7 under the tutelage of his guitar-playing father and teacher, Len Williams. So rapid was his development that just four to five years later John went to study under Andres Segovia, initially in Siena, Italy. Segovia was widely known as the forefather of the classical guitar for his work done in promoting the instrument and in extending the scant repertoire which existed for the instrument when he was embarking out on his performing career. Segovia said of Williams that "God had touched his brow".
Between 1956 and 1959, John attended the Royal College of Music in London, studying piano and theory and in November 1958 made his London debut at the prestigious Wigmore Hall. The rest is history as they say!
Whilst John is best known as a classical guitarist, but has explored many different musical traditions and collaborations. He has collaborated with Julian Bream and was a member of the fusion group, Sky. He is also a composer and arranger.
John is regarded as a perfect model of technical proficiency and efficiency and is a benchmark of excellence all players should aspire too. John's "Sevilla Concert" DVD is a guitarist and listener must-have in respect of seeing the close-up images of his technique as well as gaining a valuable insight into his musicianship and tone quality. It also contains interesting footage and commentary of his life outside of the guitar and includes a visit to the renowned luthier, Greg Smallwood, located in the Australian outback.
John has also been instrumental in bringing the works of Agustin Barrios to the notice of the classical guitar world, an undertaking for which he should be highly plauded. Be sure to check out his seminal recording of Barrios works as well as other recordings John's made using the search option to the right of the page.
I want to...
Search for his recordings:
See if he's playing near me:
Visit our frequently updated and comprehensive concerts listings page now.
Watch videos of John Williams: