Since winning the special 'Orchestra Prize' at the Bela Bartok Opera Conducting Competition in 2005, John Andrews has been increasingly in demand for his musical fluency, passion and skill.
In addition to a busy concert schedule, this year he is conducting Tolomeo (Handel) for English Touring Opera, Cosi fan tutte (Mozart) for English Chamber Opera, Orfeo e Euridice (Gluck) at St John's Smith Square, The Barber of Seville at Stanley Hall Opera, and Giulio Cesare in Egitto (Handel) for Opera de Baugé. After a well-received performance of La Cenerentola (Rossini) in 2009, he will be returning to Garsington Opera to work on Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart).
He recently worked with Andrew Litton and the Bergen Philharmonic on Der Fliegende Hollander (Wagner) and was staff conductor for English Touring Opera, conducting performances of Don Giovanni (Mozart) and Anna Bolena (Donizetti). For Garsington Opera, he has assisted David Parry on Don Pasquale (Donizetti), and La donna del lago (Rossini). For Opera de Baugé he has conducted Riccardo Primo (Handel), Enfuhrung aus dem Serail (Mozart), Don Pasquale (Donizetti), and La Traviata (Verdi). In 2006 he made his debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducting Carnival of the Animals in the West End Live Festival.
One of a new generation of scholar-conductors, he is passionately interested in locating music in its social and historical context. His doctorate is on the political and religious world of eighteenth-century oratorio, and he writes programme articles, including for New York City Opera. He has also appeared on Radio 4 discussing his research work on Handel’s Semele. In 2003 he formed the baroque ensemble The Cannons Scholars. Performing regularly in London, they also closed the English Music Festival in 2009 after a rapturously-received performance there in 2008.
He conducts several amateur choirs and orchestras, including the Hounslow Symphony Orchestra and Harpenden Choral Society. This year he will conduct The Magic Flute (Mozart) in a performance at Glyndebourne Opera House for City Music Services and with a cast ranging from professional singers to lawyers and children from Stepney schools.
John lives in London with Susan, Frances and their two cats.