Julian Warburton

Biography

Julian Warburton has acquired an international reputation as soloist and is particularly renowned for his work in contemporary chamber music and opera. His rise to prominence began whilst still a student in 1996 he was asked to perform MacMillan’s Veni Veni Emmanuel at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. The following year he won the final of the prestigious YCAT competition at the Wigmore Hall and under their management went on to perform as a soloist throughout the UK, Europe, South America, India and China. He made his BBC Proms solo debut in 2001 performing “Rebonds” by Iannis Xenakis to huge critical acclaim and was short-listed for the RPS Instrumentalist Award shortly after.

Renowned for his musical versatility he frequently collaborates and performs with international artists including Korean dancer Lee Kyung-eun, New York experimentalist Marc Ribot, South Indian Percussion Gurus Selvaganesh and Vinayakram, the Modified Toy Orchestra, Richard Alston Dance Company and most recently the National Dance Company Wales with choreographer Eleesha Drennan.

During his career he has enjoyed a close working relationship with many Composer/Conductors, notably Thomas Ades and Oliver Knussen. In 2011 he was invited by Knussen to play in the hugely successful concert performances of Britten’s Rape of Lucretia with among others Ian Bostridge and Angelika Kirchschlager, of which the Aldeburgh performances were recorded and have been released on Virgin Classics.

Recent highlights include the European Premiere of Gerald Barry’s The Importance of Being Earnest, the World Premiere of Mark Bowden’s concerto Heartland with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, followed by fully choreographed performances at the Royal Opera House (Linbury) and Millenium Centre Cardiff with National Dance Company Wales.

Julian studied postgraduate “Advanced Instrumental Studies” 1996/97 at the Guildhall School and has been Professor of Percussion and Director of Ensemble here since 2009.