Musician Julian Lloyd Webber tells Tim Hughes about his latest project

For a man who has dedicated his life to performing in public, Julian Lloyd Webber is surprisingly excited about his latest project. But then, it does involve two of the closest things to his heart – his wife and the cello. Among the finest cellists in the world, Julian has worked hard to bring the instrument to the fore. And his current tour, with fellow cellist and spouse, Jiaxin Lloyd Webber, has succeeded in placing the instrument centre stage.

On Tuesday, Julian and Jiaxin bring their Tale of Two Cellos – a world premiere of duets for two cellos, featuring music from many of the great composers – to Oxford Town Hall.

“This is a completely different venture and a new challenge,” says the softly spoken musician, the younger brother of theatrical composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.

“We’ve arranged all the duets for two cellos as there isn’t anything like that. But it’s a lovely sound – like two voices – and it’s a good introduction to classical music.”

The show, which follows the release last year of an album of 21 duets, features pieces by Holst, Rachmaninov, Saint-Saëns, Schumann and more. “I’ve played Oxford Town Hall many years ago,” he says, relishing the chance to play in the historic city centre venue – which more frequently resounds to the sound of sparring councillors than cello duets. “This is a different programme and is very intimate, so I didn’t just want to play in bigger halls,” he adds. “It’s a different kind of occasion than playing with a big orchestra.”

But what about the building’s famously challenging acoustics? “It’s very resonant, but that might be nice,” he says with a gentle laugh.

Over the course of his career, Julian, the son of the composer William Lloyd Webber and a fellow of the Royal College of Music, has worked with artists as diverse as Yehudi Menuhin, Lorin Maazel, Georg Solti, Stéphane Grappelli, Elton John and Cleo Laine – and , of course, his brother (on 1977’s Variations album, which spawned the theme of the South Bank Show).

He was the only classical composer to play at the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, and his championing of the cello has earned him a BRIT Award and led to new compositions from the likes of Michael Nyman and Philip Glass.

But, for now, it is the prospect of sharing the bill with Jiaxin which inspires him.

Julian met Jiaxin Cheng, his fourth wife, as she was playing in his orchestra on tour in New Zealand. They bonded, he says over a “shared love of cello”.

“We’ve never done a tour like this before and both want to get it right,” he says, admitting playing numerous short pieces, rather than a few long works, made it harder to perfect.

“Once a big concert gets going you know you’re on a roll, but with this there are a lot of short pieces and we have to concentrate. Musically it’s varied. We play something then it’s straight on to the next and another style.

“We speak to each other in a way we wouldn’t to other musicians, but it’s nice to play. It’s quite fun and I’ve been looking forward to it.”

For Julian, who is a founder member of the Music Education Consortium (with James Galway and Evelyn Glennie) and has advised the Government on musical education, the concerts are not only a way of sharing his music; they are part of a greater mission to share classical music with new audiences by making it accessible to all.

“I’ve always tried to do that,” he says. “My belief is that classical music is everyone’s. I’ve believed that since I started, and that’s why I like going to smaller places and conversing with people. In some places on the tour I’ll hold classes in the afternoon with young cellists. I’m not someone who turns up, does the concert and runs.”

So are there any more plans to work with his equally gifted brother? “We tend to do our own thing,” he says. “We don’t even see each other often because of work – but sometimes we’ll see each other three times a week.”

And is the classical doyen a fan of Andrew’s musicals? “Yes, I’ve seen them all – including the new one,” he says. “They are very good. What I like about Andrew’s scores is his use of music throughout the show – rather than having singers suddenly bursting into song.”

“We were lucky to have been brought up with music,” he adds. “I’m not sure what would have happened to us both without it.”

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Julian and Jiaxin Lloyd Webber play Oxford Town Hall on Tuesday.
Tickets are £27.50 inc booking fee from ticketmaster.co.uk