Julian Lloyd Webber brings intimate Bach, Bows and Arrows performance to Armagh

A major figure in British classical music will bring a personal account of his career, recovery and return to performance to Armagh later this month.

Julian Lloyd Webber and his wife, fellow cellist Jiaxin Lloyd Webber, will present Bach, Bows and Arrows at the Market Place Theatre on Sunday, August 30. The performance begins at 3pm and is part of a 12-date tour taking in venues across Ireland, north and south.

For Julian, the appearance will be a long-awaited first visit to Armagh and a significant moment in a comeback that follows 12 years away from performing. He was forced to retire from the stage in 2014 after a herniated disc seriously affected the power in his right arm and his ability to play the cello.

A return after 12 years away

The cellist, who is 75, returned to public performance at a special gala at Wigmore Hall in April, held to mark his birthday. His return comes in the same year that he confirmed he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

His decision to stop playing ended a performing career that had lasted four decades. He described the consequences as emotional and financial, saying he suddenly stopped earning and eventually sold the cello he had worked with for 30 years.

Julian subsequently turned much of his attention to supporting younger musicians. He ran a top conservatoire for five years, worked with young players and made television programmes introducing new performers. He said the standard among emerging musicians was high, but that the profession had become especially difficult, with the impact of the COVID period affecting audiences, concert numbers and opportunities.

That experience also helped shape his autobiography, Bows & Arrows, published in 2026. Julian wrote every word himself and aimed to produce an entertaining but truthful account of his life, connecting his years of playing with the injury that forced him to stop and his eventual return.

What audiences will see at the Market Place Theatre

The Armagh presentation is not intended to be a conventional formal concert. Julian and Jiaxin have designed it as an entertainment combining live music, explanation, archive material and conversation.

The first half will centre on Bach’s cello suites. Julian will explain how the works were not played for around 200 years, with the article noting that it is not known whether they were performed publicly during that period. The suites began to regain prominence when the great cellist Pablo Casals started playing them early in the last century.

Jiaxin will illustrate the discussion with selections from the suites. She is described as a leading and accomplished cellist who has performed alongside Julian for 17 years, and the Armagh event will give the couple an opportunity to share the stage in a smaller, more personal setting.

The second half will be more interactive. Members of the audience will be invited to ask questions, with the format deliberately open-ended. The couple do not know in advance how the discussion will develop, allowing the afternoon to move between Julian’s career, his experiences on stage and the stories behind his music.

The programme will also include video clips of musicians Julian has worked with, including Elton John and Stéphane Grappelli. He will read from Bows & Arrows and play the cello himself during the second half.

There will be a musical reference to Ireland, although the precise piece has not been disclosed. Julian has indicated that it is familiar to Irish audiences, but is keeping the choice as a surprise.

From classical music to rock and television

Julian Lloyd Webber’s career has crossed classical, rock and jazz. He has more than 60 recorded albums and was the only classical musician selected to perform at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games.

His recorded work includes a 2013 collaboration with Jiaxin, Tale of Two Cellos, which became the UK’s number one classical album. He has also worked with Elton John, Gary Moore, Philip Glass, Yehudi Menuhin, Stéphane Grappelli and Joaquín Rodrigo.

His work with Elton John included an instrumental recording of Your Song in 2003. Julian recalled that Elton’s distinctive, rhythmic piano playing was central to the arrangement and described the recording session as straightforward because of the singer and pianist’s professionalism.

Julian is the son of composer William Lloyd Webber and Jean Hermione Johnston, a pianist and violinist. His brother, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, is the composer behind musicals including Evita, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar.

The brothers rarely collaborated artistically, but they did make an album together called The Variations. It went on to provide the theme music for The South Bank Show.

Julian’s return to touring also reflects a change from the large venues associated with his earlier career. He has performed in major concert halls including the Sydney Opera House and the Royal Albert Hall, but said smaller venues allow greater contact between performer and audience. The Armagh format is intended to let attendees ask questions and learn more about the musicians beyond the performance itself.

Tickets and book signing

Tickets for Bach, Bows and Arrows at the Market Place Theatre cost £35. The event starts at 3pm on Sunday, August 30, and tickets are available through the theatre’s online booking page.

Julian will sign copies of Bows & Arrows after the performance. The afternoon therefore combines his return to live cello playing with the opportunity for Armagh audiences to hear directly about the injury, career and experiences that shaped his new stage programme.