Featured In
ALBUMTippett: A Child of our TimeBBC Symphony Chorus, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis, Pumeza Matchikiza, Dame Sarah Connolly, Joshua Stewart & Ashley Riches
Albums by Sir Andrew Davis
ALBUMTippett: A Child of our TimeBBC Symphony Chorus, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis, Pumeza Matchikiza, Dame Sarah Connolly, Joshua Stewart & Ashley Riches
ALBUMStravinsky: Violin Concerto, Orchestral WorksJames Ehnes, BBC Philharmonic & Sir Andrew Davis
ALBUMStravinsky: Orchestral WorksBBC Philharmonic & Sir Andrew Davis
ALBUMThe Enchanted Loom: Orchestral Works by Carl VineThe Melbourne Symphony Orchestra & Sir Andrew Davis
ALBUMSimpson: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6 (Live)London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis, Sir Charles Groves & London Philharmonic Orchestra
ALBUMMassenet: ThaïsSir Andrew Davis, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Erin Wall, Joshua Hopkins, Andrew Staples, Nathan Berg & Liv Redpath
ALBUMGoossens: Orchestral Works, Vol. 3Sir Andrew Davis, The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra & Tasmin Little
ALBUMBliss: Mary of Magdala, The Enchantress & Meditations on a Theme by John BlowSir Andrew Davis, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Dame Sarah Connolly, James Platt & BBC Symphony Chorus
ALBUMBerlioz: Symphonie Fantastique & Fantaisie sur la Tempête de ShakespeareSir Andrew Davis, Toronto Symphony Orchestra & Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
ALBUMElgar: The Music Makers & The Spirit of EnglandSir Andrew Davis, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Dame Sarah Connolly, Andrew Staples & BBC Symphony Chorus
Sir Andrew Davis's Popular Music Videos
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64: III. Allegro non troppo - Allegro molto vivace (Excerpt)
Christian Li, The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra & Sir Andrew Davis
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64: I. Allegro molto appassionato (Excerpt)
Christian Li, The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra & Sir Andrew Davis
Queen of Spades: Aria "Tell me Herman"
Yuri Marusin, Sergei Leiferkus, The Glyndebourne Festival Opera & Sir Andrew Davis
Artist Playlists
Sir Andrew Davis Essentials
A tribute to the conductor who made an inspiring contribution to British music and the BBC Proms.
Artist Biography
While most closely associated with music by British composers, Andrew Davis consistently demonstrated penetrating insights into a strikingly eclectic range of repertoire. The emotional complexity and expressive depth of his conducting, combined with his genial ability to inspire fellow musicians, led to interpretations rich in ideas and charged with immense vitality. As persuasive in the music of Mozart, Berlioz, and Richard Strauss as he was in works by Elgar, Britten, and Vaughan Williams, he was armed with a winning blend of perceptive artistry, abundant technical skills and a passionate heart that blazed in performance.
Born in Hertfordshire in 1944, Andrew Davis was a boy chorister and played organ at his parish church before studying piano at London’s Royal College of Music. He became organ scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, and made his first recordings in company with its famous choir in the mid-1960s. Conducting studies at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome led to a succession of guest conducting jobs with British orchestras, and to his appointment as music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (1975-88).
Davis’ discography grew during his tenure as chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra (1989-2000) and music director of Glyndebourne Festival Opera (1988-2000), as did his reputation as a first-rate conductor. He won critical acclaim for, among other albums, the first recordings of Elgar’s Symphony No. 3 and Birtwistle’s The Mask of Orpheus, and charmed audiences worldwide with the humor of his annual speeches as conductor of the Last Night of the BBC Proms. He brought artistic distinction and fresh energy to Chicago Lyric Opera, which he served as music director (2000-21), and as chief conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (2013-19).
Hometown
Genre
Classical