JULIAN BYZANTINE - Short Biography

Julian Byzantine is one of the world's most widely acclaimed classical guitarists. His performances in 77 countries have taken him to many of the most prestigious musical venues in the world from Carnegie Hall to the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall and Sydney Opera House. He is frequently cited in the press for his artistry, individual style and virtuosity, and the New York Times at Carnegie Recital Hall commented,��the current season may not produce another guitar recital as auspicious as Julian Byzantine's�a formidable artist with a style of his own�.�He has recorded for EMI/Classics for Pleasure (UK), Meridian Records (UK), and Walsingham Classics (Australia); and for his most recent CD he has been hailed in Classical Guitar (UK) as �one of the most respected names in the guitar world�.

His appearances as guest soloist with major orchestras in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand have included the Royal Philharmonic and BBC Symphony. In the field of contemporary music he has collaborated with eminent composers such as Pierre Boulez, Peter Maxwell Davies and Peter Sculthorpe.

Born in London, Julian Byzantine was the first recipient of an ARCM diploma for guitar from the Royal College of Music, under the tutorship of John Williams. During this period he was awarded scholarships to further his studies with Andrés Segovia, Julian Bream and Alirio Diaz. Julian Byzantine has achieved distinction as an educator; at the age of twenty-one he was appointed a Professor of Guitar at the Royal Academy of Music (the youngest such appointment in the history of the institution at that time), and for over thirty years was head of classical guitar studies at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, Australia. He is author of��Guitar Technique Rationalised'�- MelBay/Chanterelle, which is regarded as one of the most comprehensive publications on guitar technique.

Full Biography