The 2021 New York Guitar Festival marked the legacy of the late, great classical guitarist and lutenist Julian Bream with 3 online concerts per day July 14–20.]]>
The New York Guitar Festival is presenting a star-studded online tribute to Julian Bream July 14–20, 2021 on its YouTube channel.]]>
By Graham Wade | From the July 2008 issue of Classical Guitar Julian Bream turned 75 years old on 15 July, 2008. After a performing career extending from his debut in Cheltenham in 1947 to his final professional concert in 2002 at the Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich, he has for many years come to represent the concept of the ultimate dedicated classical artist. In a stridently commercial age, he has stood unflinchingly for the intrinsic values of the concert guitar, the […]]]>
Interview by Therese Wassily Saba | From the October 2006 issue of Classical Guitar It is almost 60 years since the guitarist and lutenist Julian Bream gave his debut recital at the age of 13 in Cheltenham. His career was successful from the start and always very broad in approach. He worked equally hard on his guitar and his lute playing, giving solo recitals on both at a time when the lute was relatively unknown on the concert platform. The […]]]>
Interview by Chris Kilvington and Lorraine Eastwood | From the October 1996 issue of Classical Guitar This year marks the 50th anniversary of Julian Bream’s performing career, one which will be celebrated with a series of concerts with the London Mozart Players on 2, 4 and 5 October. We drove to the sleepy Wiltshire village where he lives to chat over Julian’s reflections on his life with the guitar, and began by asking him at what age he began playing […]]]>
Interview by Chris Kilvington | From the August 1993 issue of Classical Guitar We can all hear before we are able to see, which may partly account for music’s potent quality. Watch any film on TV, and you soon realise that the powerful, emotional moments are almost invariably accompanied by music; the words are not enough. Chris Kilvington’s next question, in this extended interview with Julian Bream, concerned this premise. Note: This is part of our ongoing series celebrating the legacy of […]]]>
BY COLIN COOPER | FROM THE OCTOBER 1987 ISSUE OF CLASSICAL GUITAR “Could we go from three before L? Because that is very tricky. I have to change gear.” Julian Bream was rehearsing Leo Brouwer’s 3rd guitar concerto, the Concerto elegiaco, at the BBC in readiness for his concert at St John’s Smith Square with the Langham Chamber Orchestra. Conductor Leo Brouwer obligingly raised his baton, and Julian Bream duly changed gear. In fact, he went into superdrive once or […]]]>
Interview by Colin Cooper & Maurice Summerfield | From the March 1986 issue of Classical Guitar Colin Cooper: You once said that the guitar was a “keybound” instrument. ls it in some way anomalous to play atonal music on the guitar? Does it lose its attractiveness? Well, first, I don’t think music’s supposed to be always attractive. Granted I think there’s an angularity about some atonal music which is really rather unattractive, if by attraction you mean consonance and line shapes […]]]>
Interview by Colin Cooper & Maurice Summerfield | From the February 1986 issue of Classical Guitar Julian Bream: The beautiful spire at Salisbury is falling down. They’re all working like mad to raise some money for it. Of course, it’s an enormous undertaking to repair it, so I’m doing a little concert in the Trinity Chapel, situated in the cathedral. I’ve checked the sound, and it’s very nice, very intimate. I’m doing that on Saturday, just to raise a bit […]]]>
As told by Johanna Vollers | From the July 1985 issue of Classical Guitar Johanna Vollers came from Holland to London as a girl. Trained as a singer, she sang at the BBC in its early days, with Harold Craxton—later to become famous as a teacher of the piano—as her accompanist. She learned to play the guitar and to accompany herself, singing mainly Spanish songs and the French bergerettes. Then followed 25 years of teaching English to foreigners, a job […]]]>