Rhys Watkins

First Violin

Member since 2009

‘My first violin teacher’s daughter was a member of the LSO Violin section. She suggested I did an audition and I actually ended up getting her job after she left!’

Welsh violinist Rhys Watkins has an established career as a soloist, recitalist and orchestral Leader. Rhys graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2005 and became a member of the First Violin section of the LSO in 2009. He has since enjoyed performing in most of the world’s major concert halls and has represented the Orchestra by giving recitals in embassies in Beijing, Tokyo, New York and Madrid.

Rhys has been a finalist and prize-winner in several major international competitions including the Jeunesses Musicales International Violin Competition (Belgrade) and the Paganini International Violin Competition (Moscow). Rhys is a member of the award-winning Artea String Quartet with whom he has performed at the Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room and BBC Proms. The Artea Quartet have made numerous live broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and have recorded several CDs of the Mendelssohn and Schubert quartets under the Champs Hill label to great critical acclaim.