Andrew Gourlay - Conductor: Biography

Andrew Gourlay is the Assistant Conductor to Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé, and Music Director of the Hallé Youth Orchestra. As the 2010 winner of the Cadaques International Conducting Competition, his First Prize secures concerts with 29 orchestras around the world, including the Royal Flemish Philharmonic and the BBC Philharmonic.

Born in Jamaica, Andrew Gourlay grew up in the Bahamas, Philippines, Japan and England. A trombonist and pianist by training, his first concerts as a conductor took place at Manchester University whilst studying on the prestigious Joint Course with the Royal Northern College of Music. He subsequently won a Postgraduate Scholarship to study conducting at the Royal College of Music in London, where he prepared Bruckner symphonies for Bernard Haitink and Mozart symphonies for Sir Roger Norrington.

In 2008 he was chosen to conduct the London Symphony Orchestra in a public masterclass with Valery Gergiev; he also took part in several masterclasses with Bernard Haitink. In 2010 he was selected by Gramophone magazine as their 'One to Watch', and by BBC Music Magazine in 2011 as their 'Rising Star: great artists of tomorrow'.

Andrew Gourlay has conducted recordings with the London Symphony Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He has conducted BBC Radio 3’s Discovering Music programme, as part of the London Jazz Festival. In 2010 he replaced Sir Colin Davis in concert with the Barbican Young Orchestra.

Opera engagements have included Rusalka and La Tragédie de Carmen, as Staff Music Director of English Touring Opera, and The Marriage of Figaro at the Benjamin Britten International Opera School. In 2013 Andrew Gourlay will work as Assistant Conductor for Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

Apart from his regular concert appearances with the Hallé, recent and future guest engagements include conducting the London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC Scottish Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, Royal Flemish Philharmonic, Orquesta Sinfonica de Chile and orchestras throughout Spain.

A professional trombonist until his mid twenties, Andrew Gourlay played with the Philharmonia, Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, London Sinfonietta and Opera North, and toured South America and Europe as a member of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester under Claudio Abbado. Chamber music highlights included winning the Royal Over-Seas League Music Competition.

Andrew has presented The Early Music Show on BBC Radio 3 along with several features broadcast on the same station.

www.andrewgourlay.com