Classical guitar virtuoso John Williams AO OBE (b. 1941) was based in London at the time he was photographed by Polly Borland wearing concert black. Williams is seated with eyes closed – his focus turned inwards. The artist appears to capture that moment between poses, and we imagine the musician listening to a melody plucked out by an unseen hand.
Born in Melbourne, Williams began guitar lessons with his father Len Williams, and from the age of 11 attended summer schools with the Spanish maestro Andrés Segovia in Italy. Educated at London's Royal College of Music, in 1958 he gave his first professional guitar performance and recorded two albums. He has been performing and recording worldwide ever since. Renowned for his interpretation of the classical guitar repertoire, Williams is also a composer and has explored other musical genres including pop, jazz, world music, folk and rock. Williams has featured on numerous recordings, including the film scores for The Deer Hunter and A Fish Called Wanda.
Purchased 2022
© Polly Borland
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