Liona boyd biography channel

Canadian musician Liona Boyd is an internationally acclaimed musician frequently referred to as "The First Lady of the Guitar". The talented classical guitarist has attracted fans around the globe with her flawless playing and entrancing performances. Liona Boyd's accomplishments include five gold and three platinum albums, as well as five Juno Awards, The Order of Canada and four honorary degrees. She is one of the world's most widely known classical guitarists.

Born in London, England, Liona Boyd immigrated to Canada with her family at the age of eight. Liona received an old family guitar from Spain as a Christmas gift when she was thirteen, and began taking classical guitar lessons. The teenager got excited about her musical studies only after attending a concert in Toronto by the famous English guitarist Julian Bream. Liona began more intensive music lessons with a well-known Viennese teacher in Toronto - Eli Kassner - but loved dance and dreamed of being a ballerina.

But it was her music that brought fame to Liona Boyd. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Performance and studied with Alexandre Lagoya in Paris. The rest is "herstory" - Liona Boyd recorded her first album and made her debut at Carnegie Recital Hall. A hectic schedule of concerts took Liona to concert halls across North America and from Tokyo to New Delhi, Rio, Auckland and Paris. Liona Boyd has performed for world leaders and royalty, and toured with the likes of Eric Clapton, Chet Atkins and Gordon Lightfoot.

Liona Boyd, who now lives in Connecticut but retains her Canadian citizenship, continues to tour and record her music. Two new CDs will be released in 2009.

“I am thrilled to serve as an ACEER Rainforest Ambassador and support ACEER’s work to create the next generation of conservation leaders. My connection to the rainforest began in the 80’s when I traveled to Costa Rica and was in awe of its lush, tropical beauty. In 2002 I took a cruise from Manaus along the magnificent Rio Negro in the Amazon… a lifelong dream. In 2013 I was motivated to compose “A Prayer for Planet Earth” after seeing heartbreaking images of Amazonian destruction and the melting of the polar icecaps. From climate change to environmental justice, the time is now for all of us to add our voices to ACEER’s mission. I’m glad to add mine.  After receiving an honorary doctorate, I stated in my address to the students, “…if we want to accomplish something extraordinary…we must follow our passion and focus on our dreams, letting nothing or nobody dissuade us. We must forge new paths and not simply follow in well-trodden ones.” This is what ACEER does in its passion and commitment to rainforest conservation. Please join me in supporting ACEER’s work in the Amazon.”

Biography

Five time Juno award winner, Liona Boyd, ”The First Lady of the Guitar”, has enthralled millions with her romantic and unique brand of classical, folk and world music. She has performed solo and orchestral concerts around the world, had her own television specials, and recorded twenty-nine records, many of which have gone Gold and Platinum. Liona has over 50 million streams. Her latest album is  the Latin flavoured “L.O.V.E.”, released along with several videos for the project. Liona’s holiday special “A Winter Fantasy” has aired on PBS stations throughout the US for the past five years. 

Liona has played for dozens of world leaders including the British Royal Family and the US president. She has recorded with Sir Andrew Davis and the English Chamber Orchestra, Yo Yo Ma and Georges Zamfir, and breaking with classical tradition has to

Five time Juno award winner, Liona Boyd, ”The First Lady of the Guitar", has enthralled millions with her romantic and unique brand of classical, folk and world music. She has performed solo and orchestral concerts around the world, had her own television specials, and recorded twenty-seven albums, many of which have gone Gold and Platinum. Her total views on YouTube are over four million. A new album of original songs will be released later in 2016 by Universal Music.

Liona has played for dozens of world leaders including the British Royal Family and the US president. She has recorded with Sir Andrew Davis and the English Chamber Orchestra, Yo Yo Ma and Georges Zamfir, and breaking with classical tradition has toured with Gordon Lightfoot and Tracy Chapman as well as recorded with Chet Atkins, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, and Roger Whittaker. Liona has been a special guest on dozens of American television shows including The Tonight Show, Today Show, Boston Pops and Entertainment Tonight. With her talents and role in Canadian culture, Liona has been given five Honorary Doctorates, The Order of Canada, The Order of Ontario and the Diamond Jubilee Medal. She is a five-time winner of the Guitar Player Magazine poll for best classical guitarist and has been inducted into their ‘Gallery of Greats’. Liona has composed and arranged hundreds of pieces for the guitar and also written a best-selling autobiography, ‘In My Own Key... My Life in Love and Music’. She is currently working on a sequel to the book, and an audiobook, both to be released in 2017.