Biography

Like many successful virtuosos, cellist Jamie Walton divides his concert activity between solo and chamber music appearances. In the latter role he has given countless concerts and made several recordings with pianist Daniel Grimwood. As a soloist he has appeared with major orchestras in the U.K. and has toured across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. Walton has made a conscious effort to develop a varied and vast repertory, and thus regularly performs works by J.S. Bach, Haydn, Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms, Dvorák, Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Bloch, Lutoslawski, and many others. Open even to repertory in other genres, Walton has become a crossover artist, recording with the new wave band Duran Duran and with singer/guitarist Mark Knopfler. Walton has also performed on various broadcast concerts and regularly appears at major music festivals, including at the Lucerne, Brighton, Montpellier, Ryedale, Cheltenham, and Three Choirs. Walton has recorded for Signum Classics, Somm, and Quartz Records. Jamie Walton was born in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 1974. Raised in Britain, he began studies on the cello at age seven. While school-aged he studied music at Wells Cathedral School, in Somerset. He had later studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, in Manchester, with, among others, Margaret Moncrieff. In addition, Walton had post-graduate studies with William Pleeth. Walton first met Daniel Grimwood at the RNCM. Though Walton would go on to perform with pianist Murray McLachlan, most notably in a 2002 Somm CD of music by Arthur Sullivan, and with pianist Charles Owen, in a 2005 Somm CD of sonatas by Rachmaninov and Chopin, most of his duo performances, both in concert and on recording, would be with Grimwood. Their first recording was in 2006 on a CD on Somm, of cello sonatas by Prokofiev, Kabalevsky, and Myaskovsky. By that time Walton was also established as a major cello soloist, with regular tours across the U.K. and abroad. Walton's 2009 recording the Shostakovich Second Cello Concerto and Britten Symphony for Cello and Orchestra, on Signum Classics, drew international acclaim, further enhancing his credentials. A decade into the new century Walton and Grimwood have appeared at London's prestigious Wigmore Hall over 15 times and made concert tours to more than 20 countries. Walton's later recordings include the 2011 Signum Classics CD of the Walton Concerto for Cello and Shostakovich First Cello Concerto, with Alexander Briger leading the Philharmonia Orchestra. Walton plays a 1712 Guarneri cello.