“Walton is as emotionally committed as anyone, and makes a big, beautiful sound while unflinchingly probing to the very heart of this powerful music”
Times Magazine
Noted for his deep sound, purity of tone and unsentimental style, Jamie Walton has established a reputation for his engaging, imaginative performances and uncompromising musicality. A versatile, searching musician and something of a maverick, Jamie combines a career in both chamber and solo capacities, having appeared regularly throughout Europe, USA, New Zealand, Scandinavia, Canada, Australia and the UK.
Jamie has appeared and recorded with many of the country’s finest orchestras such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and London’s Philharmonia Orchestra with whom he has committed ten concertos to disc, including the Dvorak and Schumann concertos under Vladimir Ashkenazy. He has also recorded three concertos with the RPO. Jamie's discography with Signum Classics extends to much of the sonata repertoire as well as the complete works for cello by Benjamin Britten. As part of this project, Jamie collaborated with director Paul Joyce on a film about Britten's solo suites for cello which was released on Signum Vision and premiered on Sky Arts.
Chamber music remains at the very heart of Jamie’s life and in 2009 he launched the highly successful North York Moors Chamber Music Festival which has sold to capacity audiences ever since and been twice shortlisted for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award. This Festival was one of the only organisations that went ahead as planned during the pandemic (in both 2020 and 2021), playing to socially distanced live audiences in a 5000 square foot acoustically adapted marquee. Their former Patron, the late Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, also composed for this festival which has gone on to set up its own record label for chamber music - Ayriel Classical.
Jamie then initiated the building of a new state-of-the-art soundproofed residential recording studio in the heart of the North York Moors, the construction of which began back in March 2020. Ayriel Studios opened in January 2022.
To honour his outstanding contribution to music, Jamie was awarded a Foundation Fellowship by Wells Cathedral School and made lead Patron and campaigner for Cedars Hall, a new £10 million concert venue which he helped officially open in October 2016. He is also a member of the Worshipful Company of Musicians and was elected to the Freedom of the City of London, his former home.
Jamie plays on a 1700 Goffriller and lives with his partner within the North York Moors National Park where he combines a passion for chamber music, recording and - as a wine enthusiast and passionate cook - gastronomy.
For a longer, more detailed biography please download here.
“Walton is a player of such imagination and individuality as well as having a marvellous technique”
International Record Review