by Charlotte Dillon
Bekki Williams was born in 1972 in Nottingham. She was only eight years old when she gave her debut solo concert. Two years later she began her classical training on the flute at the South Nottingham School of Music. At 11 she was awarded a music scholarship. At 13, it was piano lessons. It seemed easy for her to master whatever instrument caught her fancy, including the saxophone. In 1990, Williams completed a studio of her own and began writing music as well as making it. Artists like Danny Elfman, Brad Fiedel, and Grahaeme Revelle, all soundtrack composers, influenced Williams' sound and style.
By 1993, Williams was working on recordings for a solo debut album, Elysian Fields. It was released in the spring of 1996 to glowing reviews by music critics. Tracks inspired by Greek mythology are showcased on the debut, including "A Glance From Medusa" and "Secrets of the Labyrinth." Some of the tunes from Elysian Fields found their way on to a number of compilation albums released in the '90s. Williams, maybe best-known by many fans for her fundamental synthesizer arrangements, finished a sophomore album, Shadow of the Wind, near the end of 1997. She earned recognition in the United States and Europe for many of the tracks from the album, such as "River of Night's Dreaming," "Mistral," "The Talisman," and "Azmara."
For 2000, Williams began work on a third release, The Edge of Human. When not in her recording studio, she increases her fan base by performing at live concerts as often as she can.