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4 unusual facts about Huw Watkins


Huw Watkins

Chamber music has always been central to Watkins’ output: in 2001 his String Quartet No. 2 was premiered at the Cheltenham Festival by the Petersen Quartet, and the Brahms Ensemble Hamburg gave the first performance of his Variations on a Schubert Song at the Gstaad Festival.

The work has since been performed by the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group in London, Paris, Copenhagen and Aldeburgh under the direction of Sakari Oramo and Peter Rundel.

He has recorded Thomas Adèssong cycle The Lover in Winter with the countertenor Robin Blaze for EMI Classics, and his recording of contemporary British music for violin and piano with Alexandra Wood was released on Usk in 2005.

Born in South Wales, he studied piano and composition at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, where he received piano lessons from Peter Lawson.


Ensemble 360

They also enjoy collaboration and have worked with a variety of other organisations and artists including poet Ian McMillan, actors Samuel and Timothy West, composer Huw Watkins and Museums Sheffield.

Music in the Round

It also enjoys collaboration and has worked with a variety of other artforms, artists and organisations including poet Ian McMillan, actors Samuel and Timothy West, composers Huw Watkins and Stephen Montague, choreographer Anna Olejnicki and Museums Sheffield.


see also

Jeremy Huw Williams

In addition to these he has also given premieres of works by composers John Tavener, Martin Butler, John Metcalf, Julian Phillips, Edward Dudley Hughes, Ian Wilson, Richard Causton, Edward Rushton, Arlene Sierra and Huw Watkins.