The End of an Era - Julian Lloyd Webber to retire

Julian Lloyd Webber and Gustavo Dudamel with In Harmony children

Cellist Julian Lloyd Webber has announced that he is to give up playing the cello publicly, and that his final performance will be on May 2, 2014 at the Forum Theatre, Malvern where he is performing with the English Chamber Orchestra. His decision has been brought about by a herniated-disc in his neck which has reduced the power in his right arm. Referring to this sudden change in circumstances, Lloyd Webber said "I have no intention of enduring a forced retirement though. I would like to use the knowledge I have gained through my life as a musician and an educator to give back as much as I can to the music profession which has given me so much over the years."

Earlier this year Lloyd Webber had been busy with a concert tour A Tale of Two Cellos with his wife Jiaxin, performing repertoire from their recent disc of music for two cellos (see my review). Two weeks ago he was presented with the Distinguished Musician Award 2013 by the Incorporated Society of Musicians.

Webber has premiered over 50 works for the cello and made more than 50 recordings during his career, winning a Classical Brit award in 1987 for his recording of Elgar’s Cello Concerto. But for many people his name is indelibly linked to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Variations which was written for him. Outside the concert hall and recording studio, he is a tireless campaigner for music education, founding the In Harmony programme based on the Venezualan El Sistema.