Credit: Laurent Guizard

Grant Llewellyn

CONDUCTOR
Music Director: Orchestre National de Bretagne
Music Director Laureate: North Carolina Symphony

Representation: General Management

Music Director of Orchestre National de Bretagne and Music Director Laureate of the North Carolina Symphony, Grant Llewellyn is renowned for his exceptional charisma, energy, and easy authority in music of all styles and periods. Born in Tenby, South Wales, Llewellyn won a Conducting Fellowship to the Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts in 1985 where he worked with Bernstein, Ozawa, Masur, and Previn.

This season is his eighth as Music Director of the newly designated Orchestre National de Bretagne; last season, the Orchestra’s maritime conservation project Project Ponant received the Best Initiative for Musical Development and Outreach from the Syndicat Français de la Critique. Elsewhere, Llewellyn’s guest engagements have included the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Royal Scottish National Orchestra, amongst others. Llewellyn enjoys a continuing relationship with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales whom he led on tour to Patagonia and South America as well as joining their 90th anniversary celebrations and conducting their Proms in the Park in September 2018.

An accomplished opera conductor, Grant Llewellyn has appeared at the opera companies of English National Opera, Opera North, and the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, where his repertoire has ranged from The Magic Flute to Alexander Goehr’s Arianna.  Recent productions include the US premiere of Handel’s Richard the Lionheart with the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Fidelio with the Opéra de Rennes, where last season he led Mathieu Bauer’s production of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, which received the Claude Rostand prize from the Syndicat Français de la Critique for Best Opera Outside of Paris (meilleur spectacle lyrique en régions).

After seventeen years as the North Carolina Symphony’s Music Director, Llewellyn currently holds the post of Music Director Laureate. Highlights from last season include a gala with Renée Fleming on the 90th anniversary of the Symphony’s very first concert. Llewellyn has conducted widely across North America, most notably the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Milwaukee, Montreal, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Toronto and recently at Caramoor Festival with the Orchestra of St Luke’s. During his time as Music Director of the Handel and Haydn Society, America’s leading period orchestra, he gained a reputation as a formidable interpreter of music of the baroque and classical periods.

Notable recordings with the North Carolina Symphony include American Spectrum, featuring 20th century works with the saxophonist Branford Marsalis, and Britten’s Cello Symphony and Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante with the cellist Zuill Bailey; and with the BBC Symphony Orchestra he recently recorded a disc of Lowell Liebermann’s orchestral works.

Deeply committed and passionate about engaging young people with music, Llewellyn regularly leads education and outreach projects; in 2017 he led the first ever “relaxed” BBC Prom with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, a concert specially designed for those with autism, sensory and communication impairments, and learning disabilities.

Promoters please note: if you wish to include this biography in a concert programme etc, please contact James Brown Management to ensure that you receive the most up to date version. Email: Jess Chan

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News

Grant Llewellyn gives World Premiere of L’île des Jamais Trop Tard

March 10th, 2023

A ten-year-old North Atlantic islander, Lise, polar animals stranded by melting sea ice, and the looming climate threat: under the baton of Grant Llewellyn, L’Orchestre National de Bretagne gives the world premiere of L’île des Jamais Trop Tard (The Island of Never Too Late), a symphonic tale by composer Sarah Lianne Lewis and playwright StéphaneRead more ›

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Grant Llewellyn salutes America

November 3rd, 2022

Music Director Laureate Grant Llewellyn celebrates his return to the North Carolina Symphony this season with an all-American programme. Featuring titans of the American tradition, the programme includes Copland: Quiet City, Barber: Violin Concerto, starring Geneva Lewis, Ives: The Unanswered Question, and Bernstein: Fancy Free. More details here.

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Grant Llewellyn doubly honoured with prizes from the Syndicat Français de la Critique

June 14th, 2022

Many congratulations to Grant Llewellyn and all the team at the Opéra de Rennes on receiving the Claude Rostand prize from the Syndicat Français de la Critique for best opera outside of Paris (meilleur spectacle lyrique en régions); this was awarded for Mathieu Bauer’s production of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress in March this year. Furthermore,Read more ›

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Grant Llewellyn with Renée Fleming in North Carolina

May 14th, 2022

Music Director Laureate of the North Carolina Symphony, Grant Llewellyn returns after a 3-year break due to the pandemic for a special one-night-only event with Renée Fleming on the 90th anniversary of the Symphony’s very first concert, before conducting two performances of Beethoven’s epic Symphony No.9 in June.

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Grant Llewellyn performs festive favourites with BBC NOW

December 15th, 2021

Grant Llewellyn and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales bring festive cheer to Cardiff and Swansea with a seasonal programme appealing to families and the young at heart. Christmas Celebrations 15th December in Cardiff 16th December in Swansea Family Concert: The Night Before Christmas 19th December in Cardiff (English) (Welsh)

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Discography

PROKOFIEV VIOLIN CONCERTOS 1 & 2

Released on the Orchid Classics label, Matthew Trusler (violin) joins the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Grant Llewellyn for Prokofiev’s Violin Concertos 1 & 2

ORC (2017)

MARK BOWDEN – SUDDEN LIGHT

“Sudden Light” traces Bowden’s works between 2005 and 2015 during which time he was a resident composer for four years with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Grant Llewellyn conducts the orchestra with soloists Oliver Coates (cello) and Julian Warburton (percussion).

NMC (2016)

BRITTEN – CELLO SYMPHONY & CELLO SONATA

Zuill Bailey (cello) with Grant Llewellyn and the North Carolina Symphony.

TELARC (2014)

Artist Manager

Imogen Morris
im@jamesbrownmanagement.com
+44 (0) 7810 800016

Roderick Thomson
rt@jamesbrownmanagement.com
+ 44 (0) 20 7636 5451

Assistant Artist Manager

Jess Chan
jch@jamesbrownmanagement.com
+44 (0) 1223 641757