Williams, John (1941-…), is an Australian classical guitarist internationally praised for his technical skill and musicianship. Williams’s mastery of the guitar has influenced later guitarists and elevated the possibilities of performance on the instrument to new levels. His recordings include guitar transcriptions of works by the great German composer Johann Sebastian Bach and the Italian composer Alessandro Scarlatti, as well as classical guitar pieces of the 1800’s and 1900’s, and more modern compositions. Williams has also performed pop and jazz music on the guitar.
John Christopher Williams was born on April 24, 1941, in Melbourne. He studied with the Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia after moving to England in 1952. Williams made his stage debut in 1958. He was a professor at the Royal College of Music in London from 1960 to 1973. From 1978 to 1984, he led a progressive pop music group called Sky. Williams also led a group called John Williams and Friends from 1983 to 1987. During the 1990’s, he led a new group called Attacca to perform specially commissioned modern music.
