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Career Highlights
SCROLL TO EXPLORE THE CAREER
OF SIR ANDREW DAVIS
Photo courtesy of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
King's College, Cambridge
"Collegium Regale Te Deum"
1967
King's College, Cambridge
"Tallis: Organ Lesson"
1967
1963
Enters Kings College, Cambridge as an Organ Scholar under Sir David Willcocks
1944
Andrew Frank Davis born in Hertfordshire, England
1949
Begins studying piano
1959
Begins organ studies with Peter Hurford
1965
Begins studying conducting with George Hurst
1970
Makes his debut conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London
1970
Named associate conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
1967-1968
Studies conducting with Franco Ferrara in Rome
1973-1978
Serves as Associate Conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra (London)
1978
Leads Toronto Symphony Orchestra on first tour of Communist China: three concerts in Beijing, one to an audience of 26,000 in a stadium, two concerts in Shanghai and two concerts in Guangzhou (formerly Canton)
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Photo courtesy of Toronto Symphony Orchestra
1975 - 1988
Serves as Principal Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
1984
Meets soprano Gianna Rolandi
1987
Conducts first performance at Lyric Opera of Chicago (Le nozze di Figaro)
1988
Marries Gianna Rolandi
1988-2000
Serves as Music Director of Glyndebourne Festival Opera
1989
Son, Edward Frazier Davis, born
1989 - 2000
Serves as Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra (the longest-serving Chief Conductor there since its founder, Sir Adrian Bolt)
1991
Conducts First Night of the Proms in the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales
Click HERE for a full listing of Sir Andrew’s BBC Proms performances.
Sir Andrew Davis and Nikolaus Lehnhoff in rehearsals for Janáček'sKáťa Kabanová, 1988.
Photo Guy Gravett / Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. © Glyndebourne Productions Ltd.
(left to right) Sir Andrew Davis, Sir Michael Tippett, and Anthony Whitworth-Jones backstage following a performance of Tippett's New Year, 1992.
Photo Guy Gravett / Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. © Glyndebourne Productions Ltd.
1992
Queen Elizabeth II creates Andrew Davis a Commander of the British Empire (CBE)
1998
Conducts world premiere of Anthony Payne’s realization of Sir Edward Elgar’s Symphony No. 3 with BBC Symphony Orchestra
1999
Queen Elizabeth II appoints Andrew Davis a Knight Bachelor in the New Year Honours List
2000 - 2021
Assumes position of Music Director and Principal Conductor of Lyric Opera of Chicago
2000
Named first ever Conductor Laureate of the BBC Symphony Orchestra
2000
Conducts first performance as Music Director of Lyric Opera of Chicago (The Queen of Spades).
The Queen of Spades
Lyric Opera of Chicago
2000
2008
Wins Classic FM Gramophone Award for his recording of the Elgar Violin Concerto featuring violinist James Ehnes and the London Philharmonic Orchestra
2009
Conducts Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for the first time
2005
Leads Ring Cycle to close out Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 50th Anniversary Season.
2009
Signs exclusive recording contract with Chandos Records
2010
Sir Andrew orchestrates Handel’s Messiah and premiers it with Toronto Symphony Orchestra
TSO "Rapid fire questions with Sir Andrew Davis about Handel's Messiah
2012
Sir Andrew's recording of York Bowen's Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2 nominated for a 2011 Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance
2012
Receives Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Knox College
2013 - 2019
Serves as Chief Conductor of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Here is an excerpt from the performance of Stravinksy’s Perséphone in Sir Andrew’s final season as Chief Conductor.
Stravinsky: Perséphone (final monologue) with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
2015
Accepts honorary title of Conductor Emeritus of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
2018
Sir Andrew’s recording Elgar’s Falstaff is awarded Diapason d’Or de L’Année - Musique Symphonique
2016
Dedication of Sir Andrew Davis Lane in Cabbagetown (Toronto) in recognition for Maestro’s work with the Toronto Symphony
2016
Sir Andrew's recording of Holst's First Choral Symphony: The Mystic Trumpeter is nominated for a 2015 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance
2019
Sir Andrew concludes the Edinburgh International Festival with a concert performance of Götterdämmerung.
EIF Immolation Scene Götterdämmerung
2020
Celebrates 50 year partnership with BBC SO
2021
Recording of Massenet: Thaïs with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra is awarded the JUNO Award for Best Classical Album: Vocal or Choral.
2021
Receives Alice S. Pfaelzer Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts from Merit School of Music in Chicago
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