Sir Andrew Frank Davis (born 2 February 1944) is an English conductor. He is conductor laureate of the

Toronto Symphony Orchestra The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1906, the TSO gave regular concerts at Massey Hall until 1982, and since then has performed at Roy Thomson Hall. The TSO also manages the Toronto ...

, the

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an Australian orchestra based in Melbourne. The MSO is resident at Hamer Hall. The MSO has its own choir, the MSO Chorus, following integration with the Melbourne Chorale in 2008. The MSO relies on f ...

, and the

BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. T ...

Early life and education

Born in

Ashridge Ashridge is a country estate and stately home in Hertfordshire, England in the United Kingdom. It is situated in the Chiltern Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, about north of Berkhamsted and north west of London. The estate com ...

, to Robert J. Davis and his wife Florence Joyce (née Badminton), Davis grew up in

Chesham Chesham (, , or ) is a market town and civil parish in Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordsh ...

, Buckinghamshire, and in

Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...

. Davis attended Watford Boys' Grammar School, where he studied classics in his sixth form years. His adolescent musical work included playing the organ at the Palace Theatre, Watford. Davis studied at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

and

King's College, Cambridge King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, the college lies beside the River Cam and faces out onto King's Parade in the centre of the city ...

, where he was an

organ scholar An organ scholar is a young musician employed as a part-time assistant organist at a cathedral, church or institution where regular choral services are held. The idea of an organ scholarship is to provide the holder with playing, directing and adm ...

, graduating in 1967. He later studied conducting in Rome with

Franco Ferrara Franco Ferrara (Palermo, 4 July 1911Florence, 7 September 1985) was an Italian conductor and teacher. Among his many students are various prominent conductors, including Roberto Abbado, Riccardo Chailly, Andrew Davis and Riccardo Muti. Life and ...

Career

Davis' first major post was as associate conductor of the

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO) is a Scottish broadcasting symphony orchestra based in Glasgow. One of five full-time orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), it is the oldest full-time professional rad ...

, beginning in 1970. In 1975, he became music director of the

(TSO). He held the post until 1988, and then took the title of Conductor Laureate with the TSO. In 1988, Davis became music director at

Glyndebourne Glyndebourne () is an English country house, the site of an opera house that, since 1934, has been the venue for the annual Glyndebourne Festival Opera. The house, located near Lewes in East Sussex, England, is thought to be about six hundr ...

, where he met the American soprano

Gianna Rolandi Gianna Rolandi (August 16, 1952 – June 20, 2021)Bordello, Enzo (June 20, 2021)"Gianna Rolandi 1952–2021" '' Parterre Box''. was an American soprano. She was based at the New York City Opera (NYCO) and enjoyed a 20-year national and internati ...

(1952-2021), who became his third wife. Davis concluded his Glyndebourne tenure in 2000. In 1989, Sir John Drummond appointed Davis as chief conductor of the

(BBC SO). During his BBC SO tenure, Davis restored the tradition established by

Malcolm Sargent Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent (29 April 1895 – 3 October 1967) was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works. The musical ensembles with which he was associated include ...

of the chief conductor of the BBC SO conducting the Last Night of

The Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...

. He was noted for his humorous Last Night speeches, including giving two speeches after the Major-General's patter song from ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 ...

'', but he also more seriously addressed the deaths of

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

Mother Teresa Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, MC (; 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), better known as Mother Teresa ( sq, Nënë Tereza), was an Indian-Albanian Catholic nun who, in 1950, founded the Missionaries of Charity. Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu () was bo ...

, and Sir

Georg Solti Sir Georg Solti ( , ; born György Stern; 21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997) was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor, known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London, and as a long-servin ...

in his 1997 Last Night speech. Davis stepped down as chief conductor of BBC SO in 2000 and now holds the title of Conductor Laureate of BBC SO. In May 1992, Davis was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(CBE) and in the 1999 New Year Honours List he was appointed a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...

. In 2002, he conducted the

Prom at the Palace The Prom at the Palace was a British classical music concert held in London in 2002. The event was in commemoration of the Golden Jubliee of Queen Elizabeth II. It was held at Buckingham Palace Garden on 1 June 2002 forming part of the Golden ...

concert, held in the gardens of

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

as part of the celebrations for the Queen's Golden Jubilee. Davis became music director and principal conductor of the

Lyric Opera of Chicago Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria ...

in 2000. His work in Chicago has included his first conducting of ''

Der Ring des Nibelungen (''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the '' Nibe ...

'' cycle of

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

in 2005 and the first Chicago production of

Michael Tippett Sir Michael Kemp Tippett (2 January 1905 – 8 January 1998) was an English composer who rose to prominence during and immediately after the Second World War. In his lifetime he was sometimes ranked with his contemporary Benjamin Britten ...

's ''

The Midsummer Marriage ''The Midsummer Marriage'' is an opera in three acts, with music and libretto by Michael Tippett. The work's first performance was at Covent Garden, on 27 January 1955, conducted by John Pritchard. The reception of the opera was controversial, o ...

''. His Lyric Opera of Chicago tenure ended at the close of the 2020–2021 season. In 2005, Davis became Music Advisor to the

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra The ''Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra'' (''PSO'') is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra's home is Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District, Pittsburgh, Cultural District. History The Pittsburgh Sy ...

, for a designated three-year period. In September 2006, he announced that he would relinquish this position with Pittsburgh after the 2007–2008 season. In October 2007, Davis and the orchestra mutually agreed to terminate his contract early and for him not to conduct his scheduled Pittsburgh Symphony concerts in the 2007–2008 season, because of increased demands on his schedule. Outside of the United States, in June 2012, the

named Davis its chief conductor, effective in January 2013, with an initial contract of 4 years. In July 2015, the MSO extended Davis' contract through 2019. Davis concluded his MSO chief conductorship in December 2019. Davis has performed a wide range of repertoire, with a particular focus on British composers, such as

, including the British premiere of his work ''The Mask of Time''. Davis has recorded for a number of labels, including

NMC Recordings NMC Recordings is a British recording label and a charity which specialises in recording works by living composers from the British Isles. History The composer Colin Matthews founded NMC in 1989, with financial assistance from the Holst Found ...

, Teldec and Deutsche Grammophon. He has also made a critically acclaimed recording of

Harrison Birtwistle Sir Harrison Birtwistle (15 July 1934 – 18 April 2022) was an English composer of contemporary classical music best known for his operas, often based on mythological subjects. Among his many compositions, his better known works include ''Th ...

's opera, ''

The Mask of Orpheus ''The Mask of Orpheus'' is an opera with music by Harrison Birtwistle, electronic music realised by Barry Anderson (composer), Barry Anderson and a libretto by Peter Zinovieff. It was premiered in London at the English National Opera on 21 May 198 ...

''. Davis and Lady Davis resided in Chicago. Their son Edward Frazier Davis, born in 1989, is a composer and a graduate of Knox College.

Discography

* Gustav Mahler: ''Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen'', Songs from ''Des Knaben Wunderhorn'' and ''Rückert-Lieder'', with Frederica von Stade and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Columbia, 1979

Videography

* Glyndebourne Festival Opera: a Gala Evening, ''Glyndebourne Festival Opera: a Gala Evening'' (1992), with Kim Begley, Montserrat Caballé, Cynthia Haymon, Felicity Lott, Benjamin Luxon, Ruggero Raimondi, Frederica von Stade and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Arthaus Musik, 2004

References

External links

* *
An interview with Andrew Davis recorded in 1995
– a British Library sound recording

8 November 1993 & 30 October 2000 {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Andrew 1944 births People educated at Watford Grammar School for Boys Alumni of King's College, Cambridge Alumni of the Royal College of Music Angel Records artists ARIA Award winners BBC Symphony Orchestra English classical organists British male organists Organ Scholars of King's College, Cambridge English conductors (music) British male conductors (music) Music directors (opera) Glyndebourne Festival Opera Living people Knights Bachelor Conductors (music) awarded knighthoods Musicians from Hertfordshire People of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year – Vocal or Choral Performance winners 21st-century British conductors (music) 21st-century organists Male classical organists