Born in Nairobi, and brought up in Manchester, John Andrews is Artistic Director of Red Squirrel Opera, Conductor-in-Association with the English Symphony Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the UK’s National Symphony Orchestra. His opera recordings have twice won the BBC Music Magazine Opera Award, in 2021 for Malcolm Arnold’s The Dancing Master and in 2023 for Lampe’s The Dragon of Wantley; Smyth’s Der Wald won the ‘World Premiere Recording – Rediscovery’ category at the 2023 Presto Music Awards.
Notable engagements include Yeoman of the Guard for the Grange Festival, Wolf Ferrari’s Susanna’s Secret for Opera Holland Park (nominated for the 2020 International Opera Awards), Tolomeo, Don Giovanni, Anna Bolena, Pia de’ Tolomei, Elisabetta and Seraglio for English Touring Opera, La Cenerentola for the Garsington Festival, the Garsington Opera production of Hansel and Gretel at West Green House, Arne’s The Judgement of Paris at the London Handel Festival, and Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci and I Capuleti e i Montecchi for West Green House Opera.
In Europe he has conducted Die Entführung aus dem Serail in Rostock, Germany, and has been a resident conductor for Opéra de Baugé where he has conducted Lucia di Lammermoor, Riccardo Primo, Don Pasquale, Die Entfürung aus dem Serail, La Traviata, Giulio Cesare, La Bohème and Il barbiere di Siviglia. As assistant to Andrew Litton, he prepared Der fliegende Holländer for Den Nye Opera with the Bergen Philharmonic.
His interest in neglected English music has resulted in some notable recordings including works by Sir Arthur Sullivan for Dutton Epoch including the oratorio The Light of the World, the opera Haddon Hall, the complete incidental music to The Tempest and Macbeth and the ballet score L’île Enchantée. He has also recorded The Mountebanks (Gilbert/Cellier) and The Judgement of Paris (Arne) for Dutton Epoch.
Other releases include symphonic works by Christopher Wright with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for Toccata Classics, Stanford Orchestral Songs, Poulenc’s Le Gendarme Incompris, and Grace Williams Orchestral Works for Resonus, and Bantock’s The Seal- Woman for Retrospect Opera. His recording of Works for Piano and Orchestra by Elizabeth Maconchy, Elisabeth Lutyens and Errollyn Wallen for Resonus won the BBC Music Magazine Premiere Award 2024. 2025 saw the release of a complete disc of Errollyn Wallen’s Orchestral Works and Avril Coleridge-Taylor’s Piano Concerto and Orchestra Works, both for Resonus.
“One of our liveliest, most elegant and talented bel canto conductors.” Opera Now
“John Andrews conducts with grace and affection” The Telegraph
“John Andrews rescues another lost English opera from oblivion and leads an
excellent performance” BBC Music Magazine
“John Andrews is an exemplary Mozartian” The Guardian
“Andrews’ supple conducting and ideal tempi gave consistent pleasure” The Sunday Times
“…incisively and insightfully conducted by John Andrews” The Observer
“Andrews again shows himself the ideal Savoy conductor” Opera Magazine
“…confident and stylish conducting of John Andrews, one of the most expert and experienced interpreters of this repertoire around today.” The Stage
“…and the whole thing is exhilaratingly conducted by John Andrews.” Gramophone