Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood: “A 20-something carrying a cello case will always be more impressive than someone with a guitar”

Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood performs live
(Image credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty)

Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood is known to have a difficult relationship with his status as a guitar anti-hero, once comparing the instrument to a typewriter (really) - and now the alt-rock icon has spoken out on what he views to be the superiority of classical musicians.

“I stand in awe of classically trained UK musicians,” Greenwood says on the website of newly launched classical label Octatonic.

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Michael Astley-Brown
Editor-in-Chief, GuitarWorld.com

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and over a decade's experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.