Bows and Arrows

The explosive, no-holds-barred account of the life of a globally renowned classical musician, Julian Lloyd Webber’s autobiography lifts the lid on a world previously shrouded in mystery.

From vivid descriptions of Julian’s childhood in one of the world’s most famous musical dynasties to unfiltered stories from his collaborations with such stars as Elton John, Yehudi Menuhin, Stéphane Grappelli, Philip Glass, and his brother, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Bows and Arrows reveals a cut-throat world of agents, promoters, record companies, violin dealers and substance abuse, laying bare the classical music profession as never before.

With refreshing honesty and humour, Julian recounts the break-up of three of his four marriages, his lifelong passion for ensuring that every child should have a chance to play a musical instrument, and his devastation at the 2014 injury that forced him to stop playing and sell his Stradivarius cello. This earth-shattering loss, however, led to a new calling, prompting Julian’s appointment as principal of a leading royal conservatoire and his re-emergence as a tireless champion of music education, working closely with politicians including Gordon Brown, Michael Gove and Boris Johnson.

Culminating in Julian’s return to the stage for the first time in twelve years, this is a powerful story of passion, loss and a life reborn.