Biography

Equally in demand as a symphonic, operatic and choral conductor, John Andrews was awarded the special 'Orchestra Prize' at the First Bela Bartok Opera Conducting Competition in Romania in 2005 confirming his position as one of the most exciting talents of his generation.

He has worked as Assistant Conductor at Garsington Opera (Don Pasquale, 2006; La donna del lago, 2007), where he will conduct Rossini's La Cenerentola in 2009. He has conducted Handel's Riccardo Primo (2006) and Don Pasquale (2007) at Opera de Bauge, where he conducts Enfuhrung aus dem Serail in 2008. In 2004, he conducted Offenbach's Robinson Crusoe for Opera della Luna at the Iford Festival to rave reviews in the national press. In 2006 he made his debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducting Saint Saens' Carnival of the Animals in the West End Live Festival and in 2007 he was off stage conductor for the Royal Opera House production of Tosca. He was staff conductor and head of music for English Touring Opera in Spring 2008, conducting performances of Don Giovanni and Donizetti's Anna Bolena. In Autumn 2008 he is working on Wagner's Der Fliegende Hollander for Den Nye Opera with The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.

John Andrews has been active as a conductor since making his professional conducting debut aged 21 performing Don Giovanni for the Cambridge Arts Theatre. He is currently musical director of amongst others the Hounslow Symphony Orchestra and Harpenden Choral Society. In 2003 he formed the baroque ensemble The Cannons Scholars, performing English-language theatre works of the eighteenth century. One of a new generation of scholar-conductors, he is passionately interested in locating music in its social and historical context. He was recently awarded a doctorate on the political and religious world of eighteenth-century oratorio, and writes programme articles for New York City Opera. He is also passionately interested in new music and has given premieres of works by Fay Neary, David Stoll and Jatinder Chopra.

Born in Nairobi, and brought up in Manchester, John studied tuba with the late Stuart Roebuck, and played with the Stockport Youth Orchestra and British Telecom Brass Band. His tone poem Christmas Night was premiered at the Free Trade Hall in 1991, and his Missa pro Loreto, two years later. He took up conducting at the age of seventeen, studying with Michael Trowski, Colin Metters, Alan Hazeldine, and now with David Parry. He continues his professional development at the Bela Bartok Centre for Musicianship, and has taken part in conducting classes with Tsung Yeh and Kirk Trevor at Symphonic Workshops in the Czech Republic, and at the National Opera Studio.

John lives in London with Susan, their daughter Frances and their two cats.