Andrew Gourlay

Born in Jamaica, with a Russian ancestry, Andrew Gourlay grew up in the Bahamas, Philippines, Japan and England. A trombonist and pianist by training, he won a Postgraduate Scholarship to study conducting at the RCM where he prepared symphonies for Haitink and Norrington.

Andrew Gourlay has been appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta Sinfonica de Castilla y León from 2014/15. In 2010, he won First Prize at the Cadaques International Conducting Competition and was appointed as Assistant Conductor to Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé and Music Director of the Hallé Youth Orchestra. He has replaced Sir Colin Davis at the Barbican twice and worked as Cover Conductor for Gergiev and Masur.

Recent and future guest engagements include performances with the Philharmonia, BBC orchestras, RLPO, Hallé, CBSO, Sinfonia Viva, Britten Sinfonia, Opera North, Brighton Philharmonic, RTÉ Symphony, Ulster Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony, Auckland Philharmonia, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Royal Flemish Philharmonic, Stavanger Symphony, Orchestre National de Bordeaux Aquitaine, Orquesta Sinfonica de Chile, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Case da Música, orchestras throughout Spain and the London Sinfonietta at the BBC Proms.

Operatic engagements include the UK premiere of Luca Francesoni's Quartett for the ROH, Rusalka and La Tragédie de Carmen for English Touring Opera and The Marriage of Figaro at the Benjamin Britten International Opera School. He has worked as Assistant Conductor for Glyndebourne Festival Opera and recently conducted Tippett's The Ice Break in a new production by Graham Vick for Birmingham Opera Company and the CBSO.