Born in Nairobi and brought up in Manchester, John Andrews graduated from Cambridge University with a doctorate in music and history. In 2005 he won the Orchestra Prize at the Bela Bartok international Opera Conducting Competition and in 2012 received the Leonard Ingrams memorial Prize from Garsington Opera. That year he was described, in the Observer, as a ‘tremendous young conductor.’

A powerful exponent of neglected repertoire, John is currently making a series of world premiere recordings with the BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Singers and BBC Symphony Chorus of works by English composers including Sullivan, Cellier, Percy Sherwood and Frederic Cowen.

On the concert platform he is Guest Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra whom he has conducted at Sadlers Wells and also recently accompanying Lesley Garrett at Westminster Central Hall. He is leading their concert tour to China in 2017. He is Artist in Residence with the English Symphony Orchestra with whom he has conducted a hugely diverse repertoire, especially showcasing English composers. They have appeared many times at the English Music Festival and will return there in 2018.

With a special affinity for bel canto and the English baroque, John has conducted over forty operas for English Touring Opera, Rostock Volkstheater, Garsington Opera, Opera Holland Park, Stanley Hall Opera, Co-Opera and Opera de Baugé.