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{{Short description|English conductor (1944–2024)}}
{{Short description|English conductor (1944–2024)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = [[Sir]]
| honorific_prefix = [[Sir]]
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| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}}
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}}
| image = Andrew Davis portrait photograph (S1569 fl0160 it0006).jpg
| image = Andrew Davis portrait photograph (S1569 fl0160 it0006).jpg
| caption = Davis, {{circa|1987}}
| caption = Davis, {{circa| 1987}}
| birth_name = Andrew Frank Davis
| birth_name = Andrew Frank Davis
| birth_date = {{birth date|1944|02|02|df=y}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1944|02|02|df=y}}
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| children = 1
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| occupation = [[Conducting|Conductor]]
| occupation = [[Conducting|Conductor]]
| website = {{URL|sirandrewdavis.com}}
}}
}}


'''Sir Andrew Frank Davis''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE|sep=,|size=100%}} (2 February 1944 – 20 April 2024) was an English conductor. He was the longtime chief conductor of the [[Toronto Symphony Orchestra]], the [[BBC Symphony Orchestra]] and the [[Melbourne Symphony Orchestra]]. He was music director at the [[Glyndebourne Festival Opera|Glyndebourne Festival]] from 1988 to 2000, and especially known for conducting the traditional Last Night of [[The Proms]], including Last Night speeches. He was music director and principal conductor of the [[Lyric Opera of Chicago]] from 2000 to the 2020/21 season.
'''Sir Andrew Frank Davis''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE|sep=,|size=100%}} (2 February 1944 – 20 April 2024) was an English conductor. He was the long-time chief conductor of the [[Toronto Symphony Orchestra]], the [[BBC Symphony Orchestra]] and the [[Melbourne Symphony Orchestra]]. He was music director at the [[Glyndebourne Festival Opera|Glyndebourne Festival]] from 1988 to 2000, and especially known for conducting the traditional Last Night of [[The Proms]], including Last Night speeches. He was music director and principal conductor of the [[Lyric Opera of Chicago]] from 2000 to the 2020/21 season.


Music critic [[Alan Blyth]] described Davis as "a conductor whose technical skill was enhanced by an inborn enthusiasm for and dedication to the task in hand that he was able to transfer to the forces before him."<ref name="Grove">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Blyth |first=Alan Blyth |author-link=Alan Blyth |year=2002 |orig-year=2001 |encyclopedia=[[Grove Music Online]] |title=Davis, Sir Andrew |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.07304 |isbn=978-1-56159-263-0 |url-access=subscription |url=https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000007304}} {{Grove Music subscription}}</ref>
Music critic [[Alan Blyth]] described Davis as "a conductor whose technical skill was enhanced by an inborn enthusiasm for and dedication to the task in hand that he was able to transfer to the forces before him."<ref name="Grove">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Blyth |first=Alan |author-link=Alan Blyth |year=2002 |orig-year=2001 |encyclopedia=[[Grove Music Online]] |title=Davis, Sir Andrew |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.07304 |isbn=978-1-56159-263-0 }} {{Grove Music subscription}}</ref>


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Andrew Frank Davis was born on 2 February 1944, in [[Ashridge]], [[Hertfordshire]], England.<ref name="Grove"/><ref>{{cite book| title=International Who's Who in Classical Music| publisher=Europa Publications| year=2003| volume=19| isbn=978-1-8574-3174-2| page=176}}</ref> His parents were Robert J. Davis and his wife Florence Joyce (née Badminton), Davis grew up in [[Chesham]], Buckinghamshire, and in [[Watford]].<ref name="Walsh">{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/conductor-of-hope-and-glory-1238820.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104085111/http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/conductor-of-hope-and-glory-1238820.html |archive-date=2012-11-04 |url-access=limited |url-status=live| title=Conductor of hope and glory| newspaper=[[The Independent]]| location=London| first=John| last=Walsh| date=13 September 1997| access-date=7 September 2009}}</ref> He attended [[Watford Grammar School for Boys|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]].<ref name="Walsh"/>
Andrew Frank Davis was born on 2 February 1944, in [[Ashridge]], [[Hertfordshire]], England.<ref name="Grove"/><ref>{{cite book| title=International Who's Who in Classical Music| publisher=Europa Publications| year=2003| volume=19| isbn=978-1-8574-3174-2| page=176}}</ref> His parents were Robert J. Davis and his wife Florence Joyce (née Badminton),<ref name="Millington" /> Davis grew up in [[Chesham]], Buckinghamshire, and in [[Watford]].<ref name="Walsh">{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/conductor-of-hope-and-glory-1238820.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104085111/http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/conductor-of-hope-and-glory-1238820.html |archive-date=4 November 2012 |url-access=limited |url-status=live| title=Conductor of hope and glory| newspaper=[[The Independent]]| location=London| first=John| last=Walsh| date=13 September 1997| access-date=7 September 2009}}</ref> He had piano lessons from age five<ref name="Millington" /> and attended [[Watford Grammar School for Boys|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]].<ref name="Walsh"/>


Davis studied at the [[Royal College of Music]] and [[King's College, Cambridge]], where he was an [[organ scholar]], graduating in 1967.<ref name="Grove"/><ref name="Nanji"/> He later studied conducting in [[Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia]], Rome, with [[Franco Ferrara]].<ref name="Grove"/>
Davis studied at the [[Royal College of Music]] and [[King's College, Cambridge]], where he was an [[organ scholar]], graduating in 1967.<ref name="Grove"/><ref name="Nanji"/> He later studied conducting in [[Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia]], Rome, with [[Franco Ferrara]].<ref name="Grove"/>


==Career==
==Career==
Davis was a keyboardist (piano, harpsichord and organ) for the [[Academy of St Martin in the Fields]] from 1966 to 1970.<ref name="Millington" /> His then made his debut with the [[BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra]] and became associate conductor of the [[BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra]].
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Davis' first major post was as associate conductor of the [[BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra]], beginning in 1970. In 1975, he became music director of the [[Toronto Symphony Orchestra]] (TSO). He held the post until 1988, and then took the title of Conductor Laureate with the TSO.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2015/05/08/the-tsos-englishman-in-toronto.html| title=The TSO's Englishman in Toronto| first=William| last=Littler| newspaper=[[Toronto Star]]| date=8 May 2015| access-date=6 December 2018| archive-date=18 August 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818132334/https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2015/05/08/the-tsos-englishman-in-toronto.html| url-status=live}}</ref>


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===Toronto===
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In 1988 Davis became music director at [[Glyndebourne Festival Opera|Glyndebourne]]. In 1989 he married his third wife, the American soprano [[Gianna Rolandi]] (1952–2021), whom he had met while conducting at the Metropolitan Opera in 1984.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/21479129/Gianna-Rolandi-Davis/Evanston/Illinois/Donnellan-Family-Funeral-Services | title=Obituary: Gianna Rolandi Davis | work=Donnellan Family Funeral Services, Tribute Archive | date=June 2021 | access-date=2022-08-09 | archive-date=9 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809101051/https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/21479129/Gianna-Rolandi-Davis/Evanston/Illinois/Donnellan-Family-Funeral-Services | url-status=live }}</ref> At Glyndebourne he conducted operas such as Janácek's ''[[The Makropulos Affair (opera)|The Makropulos Case]]'', Rossini's ''[[Le comte Ory]]'' and Alban Berg's ''[[Lulu (opera)|Lulu]]''.<ref name="Whitley">{{cite news|last=Whitley |first=John | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4709392/Does-he-have-what-it-takes.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729034458/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4709392/Does-he-have-what-it-takes.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=29 July 2012| title=Does he have what it takes?| newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]| date=28 June 1997| access-date=26 November 2011}}</ref> Davis concluded his Glyndebourne tenure in 2000. In 1989, Sir [[John Drummond (arts administrator)|John Drummond]] appointed Davis as chief conductor of the [[BBC Symphony Orchestra]] (BBC SO).<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/sep/08/radio.bbc| title=Obituary: Sir John Drummond| newspaper=[[The Guardian]]| location=London| first=Humphrey| last=Burton| date=8 September 2006| access-date=7 September 2009| archive-date=19 April 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419031445/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/sep/08/radio.bbc| url-status=live}}</ref> During his BBC SO tenure, Davis restored the tradition established by [[Malcolm Sargent]] of the chief conductor of the BBC SO conducting the Last Night of [[The Proms]]. 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]]'',<ref name="Walsh"/><ref>{{cite journal| last=Cannadine| first=David| title=The 'Last Night of the Proms' in historical perspective| journal=[[Institute of Historical Research#Historical Research|Historical Research]]| volume=81| issue=212| pages=315–349|date=May 2008| doi=10.1111/j.1468-2281.2008.00466.x| doi-access=free}}</ref> but he also more seriously addressed the deaths of [[Diana, Princess of Wales]], [[Mother Teresa]], and Sir [[Georg Solti]] in his 1997 Last Night speech.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/last-saturday-saw-the-last-night-of-the-proms-and-the-first-night-of-the-royal-operas-exile-at-the-barbican-robert-cowan-and-edward-seckerson-were-at-the-respective-venues-1239341.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126195121/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/last-saturday-saw-the-last-night-of-the-proms-and-the-first-night-of-the-royal-operas-exile-at-the-barbican-robert-cowan-and-edward-seckerson-were-at-the-respective-venues-1239341.html |archive-date=2012-01-26 |url-access=limited |url-status=live| title=Last Saturday saw the Last Night of the Proms and the first night of the Royal Opera's exile at the Barbican. Robert Cowan and Edward Seckerson were at the respective venues...| newspaper=The Independent| location=London| first1=Robert| last1=Cowan| first2=Edward| last2=Seckerson| date=15 September 1997| access-date=7 September 2009}}</ref> Davis stepped down as chief conductor of BBC SO in 2000 and from then held the title of Conductor Laureate of the orchestra.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |title=Andrew Davis / Conductor Laureate |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4sw38K9lXwLGDtPKJtt9ymB/andrew-davis |access-date=22 April 2024 |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=2024 |archive-date=21 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240421191327/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4sw38K9lXwLGDtPKJtt9ymB/andrew-davis |url-status=live }}</ref>
From 1975 Davis was music director of the [[Toronto Symphony Orchestra]] (TSO). During his tenure the new [[Roy Thomson Hall]] was opened in 1982. He took the orchestra on tours of Asia, Europe and North America;<ref name="Millington" /> in 1978 they toured China, in the UK they played in Edinburgh and at the [[BBC Proms|Proms]], in Canada they toured far north including [[Inuvik]], North West Territories, and in the US they frequently performed at [[Carnegie Hall]].<ref name="Doole">{{cite web |last=Doole |first=Kerry |url=https://ca.billboard.com/music/music-news/obituaries-toronto-symphony-orchestra-s-sir-andrew-davis-toronto-cfny-radio-host-james-reid |title=Obituaries: Toronto Symphony Orchestra's Sir Andrew Davis, Toronto CFNY Radio Host James Reid |work=ca.billboard.com |date=23 April 2024 |access-date=23 April 2022 |archive-date=23 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423171533/https://ca.billboard.com/music/music-news/obituaries-toronto-symphony-orchestra-s-sir-andrew-davis-toronto-cfny-radio-host-james-reid |url-status=live }}</ref> He conducted the orchestra in 33 recordings; three of them received [[Juno Awards]] and two a [[Grammy Awards|Grammy nomination]]. He support young talent, collaborating with the [[Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra]] and supporting the founding of the [[Toronto Children's Chorus]], performing in TSO concerts. He also played keyboard instruments and sometimes entertained as "master of ceremonies" in costume.<ref name="Doole" />

⚫
Davis held the post until 1988, and then took the title of Conductor Laureate with the TSO.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2015/05/08/the-tsos-englishman-in-toronto.html| title=The TSO's Englishman in Toronto| first=William| last=Littler| newspaper=[[Toronto Star]]| date=8 May 2015| access-date=6 December 2018| archive-date=18 August 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818132334/https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2015/05/08/the-tsos-englishman-in-toronto.html| url-status=live}}</ref> He returned every year to conduct the orchestra, altogether 50 years from his debut in 1974. He conducted around 1000 concerts, at halls also including [[Massey Hall]] and [[Ontario Place]]. In 2018 a street near his home was named Sir Andrew Davis Lane. In April 2022, he was one of former TSO music directors including [[Gustavo Gimeno]] meeting to celebrate the orchestra's 100th season, ''Maestros' Homecoming''.<ref name="Doole" />

=== England ===
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In 1988, Davis became music director at the [[Glyndebourne Festival Opera|Glyndebourne Festival]], where he had first conducted ''[[Capriccio (opera)|Capriccio]]'' by Richard Strauss in 1973.<ref name="Millington" /> In 1989, he married his third wife, the American soprano [[Gianna Rolandi]] (1952–2021), whom he had met while conducting at the [[Metropolitan Opera]] in 1984.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/21479129/Gianna-Rolandi-Davis/Evanston/Illinois/Donnellan-Family-Funeral-Services | title=Obituary: Gianna Rolandi Davis | work=Donnellan Family Funeral Services, Tribute Archive | date=June 2021 | access-date=9 August 2022 | archive-date=9 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809101051/https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/21479129/Gianna-Rolandi-Davis/Evanston/Illinois/Donnellan-Family-Funeral-Services | url-status=live }}</ref> He conducted there operas such as Janácek's ''[[The Makropulos Affair (opera)|The Makropulos Case]]'', Rossini's ''[[Le comte Ory]]'' and Alban Berg's ''[[Lulu (opera)|Lulu]]''.<ref name="Whitley">{{cite news|last=Whitley |first=John | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4709392/Does-he-have-what-it-takes.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729034458/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4709392/Does-he-have-what-it-takes.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=29 July 2012| title=Does he have what it takes?| newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]| date=28 June 1997| access-date=26 November 2011}}</ref> Davis concluded his Glyndebourne tenure in 2000. In 1989, Sir [[John Drummond (arts administrator)|John Drummond]] appointed Davis as chief conductor of the [[BBC Symphony Orchestra]] (BBC SO).<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/sep/08/radio.bbc| title=Obituary: Sir John Drummond| newspaper=[[The Guardian]]| location=London| first=Humphrey| last=Burton| date=8 September 2006| access-date=7 September 2009| archive-date=19 April 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419031445/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/sep/08/radio.bbc| url-status=live}}</ref> During his BBC SO tenure, Davis restored the tradition established by [[Malcolm Sargent]] of the chief conductor of the BBC SO conducting the Last Night of The Proms. 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]]'',<ref name="Walsh"/><ref>{{cite journal| last=Cannadine| first=David| title=The 'Last Night of the Proms' in historical perspective| journal=[[Institute of Historical Research#Historical Research|Historical Research]]| volume=81| issue=212| pages=315–349|date=May 2008| doi=10.1111/j.1468-2281.2008.00466.x| doi-access=free}}</ref> in 1998 and in 2000,<ref name="Millington" /> but he also more seriously addressed the deaths of [[Diana, Princess of Wales]], [[Mother Teresa]], and Sir [[Georg Solti]] in his 1997 Last Night speech.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/last-saturday-saw-the-last-night-of-the-proms-and-the-first-night-of-the-royal-operas-exile-at-the-barbican-robert-cowan-and-edward-seckerson-were-at-the-respective-venues-1239341.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126195121/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/last-saturday-saw-the-last-night-of-the-proms-and-the-first-night-of-the-royal-operas-exile-at-the-barbican-robert-cowan-and-edward-seckerson-were-at-the-respective-venues-1239341.html |archive-date=26 January 2012 |url-access=limited |url-status=live| title=Last Saturday saw the Last Night of the Proms and the first night of the Royal Opera's exile at the Barbican. Robert Cowan and Edward Seckerson were at the respective venues...| newspaper=The Independent| location=London| first1=Robert| last1=Cowan| first2=Edward| last2=Seckerson| date=15 September 1997| access-date=7 September 2009}}</ref> Davis stepped down as chief conductor of BBC SO in 2000 <ref name="Millington" /> and from then held the title of Conductor Laureate of the orchestra.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |title=Andrew Davis / Conductor Laureate |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4sw38K9lXwLGDtPKJtt9ymB/andrew-davis |access-date=22 April 2024 |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=2024 |archive-date=21 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240421191327/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4sw38K9lXwLGDtPKJtt9ymB/andrew-davis |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1998 he conducted at the Proms Elgar's [[Symphony No. 3 (Elgar/Payne)|Third Symphony]] that [[Anthony Payne]] had derived from the composer's sketches.<ref name="Millington" />


In May 1992, Davis was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) and in the [[1999 New Year Honours]] he was appointed a [[Knight Bachelor]].<ref name="BBC"/> In 2002 he conducted the [[Prom at the Palace]] concert, held in the gardens of [[Buckingham Palace]] as part of the celebrations for the [[Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Queen's Golden Jubilee]].<ref name="NZZ">{{cite news |title=Sonniger Klassik-Auftakt zum Golden Jubilee |url=https://www.nzz.ch/article875LW-ld.210102 |access-date=22 April 2024 |newspaper=[[Neue Zürcher Zeitung]] |language=de |date=2 June 2002}}</ref>
In May 1992, Davis was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) and in the [[1999 New Year Honours]] he was appointed a [[Knight Bachelor]].<ref name="BBC"/> In 2002 he conducted the [[Prom at the Palace]] concert, held in the gardens of [[Buckingham Palace]] as part of the celebrations for the [[Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Queen's Golden Jubilee]].<ref name="NZZ">{{cite news |title=Sonniger Klassik-Auftakt zum Golden Jubilee |url=https://www.nzz.ch/article875LW-ld.210102 |access-date=22 April 2024 |newspaper=[[Neue Zürcher Zeitung]] |language=de |date=2 June 2002}}</ref>


=== Chicago ===
Davis became music director and principal conductor of the [[Lyric Opera of Chicago]] in 2000. His work in Chicago included his first conducting of Wagner's ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen]]'' cycle in 2005<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/apr/07/classicalmusicandopera| title=Der Ring des Nibelungen (Lyric Opera, Chicago)| newspaper=The Guardian| location=London| first=Martin| last=Kettle| date=7 April 2005| access-date=7 September 2009| archive-date=18 August 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818132332/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/apr/07/classicalmusicandopera| url-status=live}}</ref> and the first Chicago production of Michael Tippett's ''[[The Midsummer Marriage]]''.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/356665245| title=Davis's baton change| newspaper=[[The Australian]]| first=Matthew| last=Westwood| date=21 August 2009| access-date=22 April 2024|id={{ProQuest|356665245}}}}</ref> His Lyric Opera of Chicago tenure ended at the close of the 2020–2021 season.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/latest-news/sir-andrew-davis-australian-appointment/ |title=Sir Andrew Davis' Australian Appointment |website=[[Classic FM (UK)|Classic FM]] |date=17 June 2012 |access-date=9 January 2022 |archive-date=9 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109121104/https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/latest-news/sir-andrew-davis-australian-appointment/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Davis became music director and principal conductor of the [[Lyric Opera of Chicago]] in 2000. His work in Chicago included his first conducting of Wagner's ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen]]'' cycle in 2005<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/apr/07/classicalmusicandopera| title=Der Ring des Nibelungen (Lyric Opera, Chicago)| newspaper=The Guardian| location=London| first=Martin| last=Kettle| date=7 April 2005| access-date=7 September 2009| archive-date=18 August 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818132332/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/apr/07/classicalmusicandopera| url-status=live}}</ref> and the first Chicago production of Michael Tippett's ''[[The Midsummer Marriage]]''.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/356665245| title=Davis's baton change| newspaper=[[The Australian]]| first=Matthew| last=Westwood| date=21 August 2009| access-date=22 April 2024|id={{ProQuest|356665245}}}}</ref> His Lyric Opera of Chicago tenure ended at the close of the 2020–2021 season.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/latest-news/sir-andrew-davis-australian-appointment/ |title=Sir Andrew Davis' Australian Appointment |website=[[Classic FM (UK)|Classic FM]] |date=17 June 2012 |access-date=9 January 2022 |archive-date=9 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109121104/https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/latest-news/sir-andrew-davis-australian-appointment/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


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In 2005 Davis became Music Advisor to the [[Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra]], for a designated three-year period. In September 2006, he announced that he would relinquish this position with Pittsburgh after the 2007–2008 season.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06272/725916-42.stm| title=Future succession to keep PSO busy| newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]| first=Andrew| last=Druckenbrod| date=29 September 2006| access-date=28 April 2007| archive-date=23 December 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223063526/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06272/725916-42.stm| url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07300/828842-42.stm| title=Davis backs out of PSO concerts| newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette| first=Andrew| last=Druckenbrod| date=27 October 2007| access-date=27 October 2007| archive-date=23 December 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223065525/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07300/828842-42.stm| url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Melbourne ===
[[File:Sir Andrew Davis conducts the MSO and MSO Chorus.jpg|thumb|Davis conducting the [[Melbourne Symphony Orchestra]] and Chorus in August 2012]]
[[File:Sir Andrew Davis conducts the MSO and MSO Chorus.jpg|thumb|Davis conducting the [[Melbourne Symphony Orchestra]] and Chorus in August 2012]]
In June 2012 the [[Melbourne Symphony Orchestra]] (MSO) named Davis its chief conductor, effective in January 2013, with an initial contract of four years.<ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www.mso.com.au/news/2012/06/sir-andrew-davis/| title=Sir Andrew Davis announced as Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Chief Conductor| publisher=Melbourne Symphony Orchestra| date=18 June 2012| access-date=18 June 2012| archive-date=27 March 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327073420/http://www.mso.com.au/news/2012/06/sir-andrew-davis/| url-status=dead}}</ref> In July 2015, the MSO extended Davis's contract through 2019.<ref>{{cite press release| url=https://www.mso.com.au/media-centre/news/2015/07/Sir-Andrew-Davis| title=Chief Conductor Sir Andrew Davis to lead the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra until 2019| publisher=Melbourne Symphony Orchestra| date=27 July 2015| access-date=12 April 2018| archive-date=11 April 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411164428/https://www.mso.com.au/media-centre/news/2015/07/Sir-Andrew-Davis/| url-status=dead}}</ref> He conducted chorus and orchestra in August 2012 in works by [[Percy Grainger]], including ''Tribute to Foster'',<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/workversion/grainger-percy-tribute-to-foster/24987| title=Tribute to Foster| publisher=Australian Music Centre| date=2024| access-date=23 April 2024 }}</ref> and subsequently recorded them.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%205121| title=Percy Grainger| publisher=[[Chandos Records|Chandos]]| date=2024| access-date=23 April 2024| archive-date=23 April 2024| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423205520/https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%205121| url-status=live}}</ref> He recorded with the orchestra orchestral works by the Australian composer [[Carl Vine]], which was nominated for an [[ARIA Music Awards]] in the category Best Classical Album. Davis concluded his MSO chief conductorship in December 2019,<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/news/sir-andrew-davis-step-melbourne-symphony-orchestra/| title=Sir Andrew Davis to step down from Melbourne Symphony Orchestra| magazine=[[Limelight (magazine)|Limelight]]| first=Angus| last=McPherson| date=10 April 2018| access-date=12 April 2018| archive-date=18 August 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818132335/https://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/news/sir-andrew-davis-step-melbourne-symphony-orchestra/| url-status=live}}</ref> and was named Conductor Laureate the following year.<ref name="MSO">{{cite news| url=https://www.mso.com.au/behind-the-music/meet-the-musicians/sir-andrew-davis| title=Sir Andrew Davis / Conductor Laureate / In memoriam: 2013-2024| publisher=[[Melbourne Symphony Orchestra]]| date=April 2024| access-date=23 April 2024| archive-date=15 March 2024| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240315090243/https://www.mso.com.au/behind-the-music/meet-the-musicians/sir-andrew-davis| url-status=live}}</ref>


⚫
=== Personal life ===
⚫
In 2005 Davis became Music Advisor to the [[Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra]], for a designated three-year period. In September 2006, he announced that he would relinquish this position with Pittsburgh after the 2007–2008 season.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06272/725916-42.stm| title=Future succession to keep PSO busy| newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]| first=Andrew| last=Druckenbrod| date=29 September 2006| access-date=28 April 2007| archive-date=23 December 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223063526/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06272/725916-42.stm| url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07300/828842-42.stm| title=Davis backs out of PSO concerts| newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette| first=Andrew| last=Druckenbrod| date=27 October 2007| access-date=27 October 2007| archive-date=23 December 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223065525/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07300/828842-42.stm| url-status=live}}</ref> Outside of the United States, in June 2012, the [[Melbourne Symphony Orchestra]] named Davis its chief conductor, effective in January 2013, with an initial contract of 4 years.<ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www.mso.com.au/news/2012/06/sir-andrew-davis/| title=Sir Andrew Davis announced as Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Chief Conductor| publisher=Melbourne Symphony Orchestra| date=18 June 2012| access-date=18 June 2012| archive-date=27 March 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327073420/http://www.mso.com.au/news/2012/06/sir-andrew-davis/| url-status=dead}}</ref> In July 2015, the MSO extended Davis' contract through 2019.<ref>{{cite press release| url=https://www.mso.com.au/media-centre/news/2015/07/Sir-Andrew-Davis| title=Chief Conductor Sir Andrew Davis to lead the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra until 2019| publisher=Melbourne Symphony Orchestra| date=27 July 2015| access-date=2018-04-12| archive-date=11 April 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411164428/https://www.mso.com.au/media-centre/news/2015/07/Sir-Andrew-Davis/| url-status=dead}}</ref> Davis concluded his MSO chief conductorship in December 2019.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/news/sir-andrew-davis-step-melbourne-symphony-orchestra/| title=Sir Andrew Davis to step down from Melbourne Symphony Orchestra| magazine=[[Limelight (magazine)|Limelight]]| first=Angus| last=McPherson| date=10 April 2018| access-date=2018-04-12| archive-date=18 August 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818132335/https://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/news/sir-andrew-davis-step-melbourne-symphony-orchestra/| url-status=live}}</ref>
⚫
Davis and his wife Gianna Rolandi resided in Chicago.<ref name="Nanji"/> They married in 1989 and their marriage lasted until her death in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bordello |first1=Enzo |title=Gianna Rolandi 1952-2021 |url=https://parterre.com/2021/06/20/gianna-rolandi-1952-2021/ |publisher=[[Parterre Box]] |access-date=23 April 2024 |date=20 June 2021 |archive-date=4 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604045913/https://parterre.com/2021/06/20/gianna-rolandi-1952-2021/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Their son Edward Frazier Davis, born in 1989, is a composer and a graduate of [[Knox College (Illinois)|Knox College]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://chicagocrusader.com/news-detail.aspx?cityID=1&typeID=4&newsid=2316| title=Sir Andrew Davis receives honorary degree from Knox College| newspaper=[[The Chicago Crusader]]| first=Barbara| last=Wright-Pryor| date=16 June 2012| access-date=26 June 2012| archive-date=14 April 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414010508/https://chicagocrusader.com/news-detail.aspx?cityID=1&typeID=4&newsid=2316| url-status=dead}}</ref>


⚫
Davis died from [[leukaemia]] in Chicago, on 20 April 2024, at the age of 80.<ref name="Millington">{{cite news |last=Millington |first=Barry |title=Sir Andrew Davis obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/22/sir-andrew-davis-obituary |access-date=23 April 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=22 April 2024 |archive-date=23 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423072053/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/22/sir-andrew-davis-obituary |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Nanji">{{cite news |last=Nanji |first=Noor |title=Sir Andrew Davis: BBC Proms conductor dies aged 80 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68869153 |access-date=22 April 2024 |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=21 April 2024 |archive-date=21 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240421235050/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68869153 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Mark |title=Sir Andrew Davis, ex-chief conductor of BBC Symphony Orchestra, dies aged 80 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/21/sir-andrew-davis-former-chief-conductor-of-bbc-symphony-orchestra-dies-aged-80 |access-date=22 April 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=21 April 2024 |archive-date=22 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422052658/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/21/sir-andrew-davis-former-chief-conductor-of-bbc-symphony-orchestra-dies-aged-80 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Conductor Andrew Davis, music director emeritus of Lyric Opera, dies at 80 | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/04/21/conductor-andrew-davis-music-director-emeritus-of-lyric-opera-dies-at-80/ | work=Chicago Tribune | author=Chris Jones | date=21 April 2024 | accessdate=22 April 2024 | archive-date=22 April 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422105839/https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/04/21/conductor-andrew-davis-music-director-emeritus-of-lyric-opera-dies-at-80/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
⚫
Davis performed a wide range of repertoire, with a particular focus on British composers, such as [[Michael Tippett]],<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.musicaltimes.co.uk/archive/obits/199803tippet.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020508085844/http://www.musicaltimes.co.uk/archive/obits/199803tippet.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2002-05-08 |last=Cairns |first=David |author-link=David Cairns (writer) |title=Images of beauty: Michael Tippett 1905–1998 |journal=[[The Musical Times]] |volume=139 |issue=1861 |pages=4–5 |date=March 1998 |access-date=7 September 2009 }}</ref> including the British premiere of his work ''The Mask of Time''. Davis recorded for a number of labels, including [[NMC Recordings]], [[Teldec]] and [[Deutsche Grammophon]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/feb/23/classicalmusicandopera.shopping| title=Chopin: Piano Concerto No 1; Liszt: Piano Concerto No 1, Li/ Philharmonia/ Davis| newspaper=The Guardian| first=Tim| last=Ashley| date=23 February 2007| access-date=7 September 2009| archive-date=18 August 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818132333/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/feb/23/classicalmusicandopera.shopping| url-status=live}}</ref> He also made a critically acclaimed recording of [[Harrison Birtwistle]]'s opera, ''[[The Mask of Orpheus]]''.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com/review/birtwistle-5
|archive-url = https://archive.today/20130117202329/http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com/review/birtwistle-5
|url-status = dead
|archive-date = 17 January 2013
|title = Birtwistle
|publisher = [[BBC Music Magazine]]
|access-date = 16 August 2010
}}</ref>


== Repertoire ==
⚫
==Personal life and death==
⚫
Davis performed a wide range of repertoire, with a particular focus on British composers, such as [[Harrison Birtwistle]], [[Benjamin Britten]], [[Edward Elgar]]<ref name="MSO" /> and [[Michael Tippett]],<ref name="MSO" /><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.musicaltimes.co.uk/archive/obits/199803tippet.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020508085844/http://www.musicaltimes.co.uk/archive/obits/199803tippet.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 May 2002 |last=Cairns |first=David |author-link=David Cairns (writer) |title=Images of beauty: Michael Tippett 1905–1998 |journal=[[The Musical Times]] |volume=139 |issue=1861 |pages=4–5 |date=March 1998 |access-date=7 September 2009 }}</ref> He conducted the British premiere of Tippett's ''The Mask of Time''. Davis programmed 20th-century music by composers including [[Pierre Boulez]], [[Leoš Janáček]] and [[Olivier Messiaen]], and participated in world premieres, both as player and conductor.<ref name="MSO" />
⚫
Davis and his wife [[Gianna Rolandi]] resided in Chicago.<ref name="Nanji"/> They married in 1989 and their marriage lasted until her death in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bordello |first1=Enzo |title=Gianna Rolandi 1952-2021 |url=https://parterre.com/2021/06/20/gianna-rolandi-1952-2021/ |publisher=[[Parterre Box]] |access-date=23 April 2024 |date=20 June 2021}}</ref> Their son Edward Frazier Davis, born in 1989, is a composer and a graduate of [[Knox College (Illinois)|Knox College]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://chicagocrusader.com/news-detail.aspx?cityID=1&typeID=4&newsid=2316| title=Sir Andrew Davis receives honorary degree from Knox College| newspaper=[[The Chicago Crusader]]| first=Barbara| last=Wright-Pryor| date=16 June 2012| access-date=2012-06-26| archive-date=14 April 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414010508/https://chicagocrusader.com/news-detail.aspx?cityID=1&typeID=4&newsid=2316| url-status=dead}}</ref>


⚫
=== Recordings ===
⚫
Davis died from [[leukemia]] in Chicago, on 20 April 2024, at the age of 80.<ref name="Nanji">{{cite news |last=Nanji |first=Noor |title=Sir Andrew Davis: BBC Proms conductor dies aged 80 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68869153 |access-date=22 April 2024 |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=21 April 2024 |archive-date=21 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240421235050/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68869153 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Mark |title=Sir Andrew Davis, ex-chief conductor of BBC Symphony Orchestra, dies aged 80 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/21/sir-andrew-davis-former-chief-conductor-of-bbc-symphony-orchestra-dies-aged-80 |access-date=22 April 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=21 April 2024 |archive-date=22 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422052658/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/21/sir-andrew-davis-former-chief-conductor-of-bbc-symphony-orchestra-dies-aged-80 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Conductor Andrew Davis, music director emeritus of Lyric Opera, dies at 80 | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/04/21/conductor-andrew-davis-music-director-emeritus-of-lyric-opera-dies-at-80/ | work=Chicago Tribune | author=Chris Jones | date=2024-04-21 | accessdate=2024-04-22 | archive-date=22 April 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422105839/https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/04/21/conductor-andrew-davis-music-director-emeritus-of-lyric-opera-dies-at-80/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
Davis recorded for a number of labels, including [[NMC Recordings]], [[Teldec]] and [[Deutsche Grammophon]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/feb/23/classicalmusicandopera.shopping| title=Chopin: Piano Concerto No 1; Liszt: Piano Concerto No 1, Li/ Philharmonia/ Davis| newspaper=The Guardian| first=Tim| last=Ashley| date=23 February 2007| access-date=7 September 2009| archive-date=18 August 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818132333/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/feb/23/classicalmusicandopera.shopping| url-status=live}}</ref>


He conducted a solo album by mezzo-soprano [[Frederica von Stade]], ''[[Frederica von Stade – Mahler Songs]]'', of Mahler's ''[[Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen]]'', songs from ''[[Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Mahler)|Des Knaben Wunderhorn]]'' and ''[[Rückert-Lieder]]'', with the [[London Philharmonic Orchestra]] for Columbia in 1978.<ref name="Forsling">{{cite news |last=Forsling |first=Göran |title=Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) / Songs |url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/June11/Mahler_lieder_Stade_78517.htm |access-date=22 April 2024 |website=musicweb-international.com |date=June 2011 |archive-date=18 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118005746/http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/June11/Mahler_lieder_Stade_78517.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1987 he recorded Handel's ''[[Messiah (Handel)|Messiah]]'' in an arrangement that he had made for symphony orchestra, with [[Kathleen Battle]], [[Florence Quivar]], [[John Aler]], Samuel Ramery and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, by [[EMI]].<ref name="Hugill">{{cite news |last=Hugill |first=Robert |title=George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) / Messiah |url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2009/Feb09/Handel_Messiah_2176452.htm |access-date=22 April 2024 |website=musicweb-international.com |date=February 2009 |archive-date=2 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702193004/http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2009/Feb09/Handel_Messiah_2176452.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> He made a critically acclaimed recording of Birtwistle's opera, ''[[The Mask of Orpheus]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com/review/birtwistle-5 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20130117202329/http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com/review/birtwistle-5 |url-status = dead |archive-date = 17 January 2013 |title = Birtwistle |publisher = [[BBC Music Magazine]] |access-date = 16 August 2010 }}</ref> A recording of Alban Berg's [[Violin Concerto (Berg)|Violin Concerto]] and [[Three Pieces for Orchestra (Berg)|Three Pieces for Orchestra]] with the BBC SO was released in 2022.
⚫
==Recordings==
* [[Frederica von Stade – Mahler Songs]], Mahler's ''[[Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen]]'', songs from ''[[Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Mahler)|Des Knaben Wunderhorn]]'' and ''[[Rückert-Lieder]]'', with [[Frederica von Stade]] and the [[London Philharmonic Orchestra]], Columbia, 1978<ref name="Forsling">{{cite news |last=Forsling |first=Göran |title=Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) / Songs |url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/June11/Mahler_lieder_Stade_78517.htm |access-date=22 April 2024 |website=musicweb-international.com |date=June 2011 |archive-date=18 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118005746/http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/June11/Mahler_lieder_Stade_78517.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Handel: ''[[Messiah (Handel)|Messiah]]'', with [[Kathleen Battle]], [[Florence Quivar]], [[John Aler]], Samuel Ramery and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, EMI, 1987.<ref name="Hugill">{{cite news |last=Hugill |first=Robert |title=George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) / Messiah |url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2009/Feb09/Handel_Messiah_2176452.htm |access-date=22 April 2024 |website=musicweb-international.com |date=February 2009 |archive-date=2 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702193004/http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2009/Feb09/Handel_Messiah_2176452.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>


Davis recorded a series with the BBC SO and Chorus of music by British composers for [[Teldec]], ''The British Line''. It was reissued as a 16-CD retrospective by [[Warner Classics]]. He also recorded works by [[Hector Berlioz]], [[Arthur Bliss]], [[York Bowen]] (nominated for a 2012 Grammy in 2012 in the category Best Orchestral Performance), [[Frederick Delius]], Elgar (2018 [[Diapason d'Or]] in the category symphonic music), [[Gerald Finzi]], [[Eugene Aynsley Goossens]], [[Percy Grainger]], Handel (nominated for a 2018 Grammy for Best Choral Performance), [[Gustav Holst]], [[Charles Ives]], and [[Jules Massenet]] (2021 JUNO Award for Best Classical Album: Vocal or Choral).<ref name="Hugill" />
⚫
===Videos===

⚫
* ''[[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]]<ref name="Rohan">{{cite news |last=Rohan | first=Mscott |title=Glynbourne Festival Opera – A Gala Evening |url=https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/glynbourne-festival-opera-a-gala-evening |access-date=22 April 2024 |magazine=[[Gramophone (magazine)|Gramophone]] |date=May 2004}}</ref>
====Videos====
⚫
In the 1992 DVD ''[[Glyndebourne Festival Opera: A Gala Evening]]'', recorded live by [[Arthaus Musik]], Davis contributed several sections conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra, including [[Montserrat Caballé]] as Verdi's [[Desdemona]].<!-- [[Frederica von Stade]] as Mozart's [[Cherubino]], [[Cynthia Haymon]], [[Felicity Lott]], [[Benjamin Luxon]], [[Ruggero Raimondi]], --><ref name="Rohan">{{cite news |last=Rohan | first=Mscott |title=Glynbourne Festival Opera – A Gala Evening |url=https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/glynbourne-festival-opera-a-gala-evening |access-date=22 April 2024 |magazine=[[Gramophone (magazine)|Gramophone]] |date=May 2004}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

{{commons Category|Andrew Davis (conductor)}}


==External links==
==External links==
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* [http://www.bruceduffie.com/davis.html Two interviews with Sir Andrew Davis], on [[WNIB (defunct)|WNIB]] Classical 97, Chicago, 8 November 1993 & 30 October 2000
* [http://www.bruceduffie.com/davis.html Two interviews with Sir Andrew Davis], on [[WNIB (defunct)|WNIB]] Classical 97, Chicago, 8 November 1993 & 30 October 2000
* {{YouTube|QRObt9U5zCU|Sir Andrew Davis – Back in the pit (Glyndebourne, 2012)}}
* {{YouTube|QRObt9U5zCU|Sir Andrew Davis – Back in the pit (Glyndebourne, 2012)}}
* {{YouTube|lQheLXcYZek|Percy Grainger 'Tribute to Stephen Foster' - Sir Andrew Davis conducts (BBC Proms 2014)}}


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{{succession box | title=[[Lyric Opera of Chicago|Music Director, Lyric Opera of Chicago]] | before=[[Bruno Bartoletti]] | years= 2000–2021 | after=[[Enrique Mazzola]]}}
{{succession box | title=[[Lyric Opera of Chicago|Music Director, Lyric Opera of Chicago]] | before=[[Bruno Bartoletti]] | years= 2000–2021 | after=[[Enrique Mazzola]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{s-end}}

{{Toronto Symphony conductors}}
{{Toronto Symphony conductors}}
{{Melbourne Symphony Orchestra conductors}}
{{Melbourne Symphony Orchestra conductors}}
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{{BBCSO conductors}}
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{{Portal bar|Biography|Classical music|Music|United Kingdom}}
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Revision as of 13:18, 22 May 2024

Sir
Andrew Davis
CBE
Davis, c. 1987
Born
Andrew Frank Davis

(1944-02-02)2 February 1944
Ashridge, Hertfordshire, England
Died20 April 2024(2024-04-20) (aged 80)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
OccupationConductor
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1989; died 2021)​
Children1
Websitesirandrewdavis.com

Sir Andrew Frank Davis CBE (2 February 1944 – 20 April 2024) was an English conductor. He was the long-time chief conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He was music director at the Glyndebourne Festival from 1988 to 2000, and especially known for conducting the traditional Last Night of The Proms, including Last Night speeches. He was music director and principal conductor of the Lyric Opera of Chicago from 2000 to the 2020/21 season.

Music critic Alan Blyth described Davis as "a conductor whose technical skill was enhanced by an inborn enthusiasm for and dedication to the task in hand that he was able to transfer to the forces before him."[1]

Early life and education

Andrew Frank Davis was born on 2 February 1944, in Ashridge, Hertfordshire, England.[1][2] His parents were Robert J. Davis and his wife Florence Joyce (née Badminton),[3] Davis grew up in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, and in Watford.[4] He had piano lessons from age five[3] and 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.[4]

Davis studied at the Royal College of Music and King's College, Cambridge, where he was an organ scholar, graduating in 1967.[1][5] He later studied conducting in Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Rome, with Franco Ferrara.[1]

Career

Davis was a keyboardist (piano, harpsichord and organ) for the Academy of St Martin in the Fields from 1966 to 1970.[3] His then made his debut with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and became associate conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Toronto

From 1975 Davis was music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO). During his tenure the new Roy Thomson Hall was opened in 1982. He took the orchestra on tours of Asia, Europe and North America;[3] in 1978 they toured China, in the UK they played in Edinburgh and at the Proms, in Canada they toured far north including Inuvik, North West Territories, and in the US they frequently performed at Carnegie Hall.[6] He conducted the orchestra in 33 recordings; three of them received Juno Awards and two a Grammy nomination. He support young talent, collaborating with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and supporting the founding of the Toronto Children's Chorus, performing in TSO concerts. He also played keyboard instruments and sometimes entertained as "master of ceremonies" in costume.[6]

Davis held the post until 1988, and then took the title of Conductor Laureate with the TSO.[7] He returned every year to conduct the orchestra, altogether 50 years from his debut in 1974. He conducted around 1000 concerts, at halls also including Massey Hall and Ontario Place. In 2018 a street near his home was named Sir Andrew Davis Lane. In April 2022, he was one of former TSO music directors including Gustavo Gimeno meeting to celebrate the orchestra's 100th season, Maestros' Homecoming.[6]

England

In 1988, Davis became music director at the Glyndebourne Festival, where he had first conducted Capriccio by Richard Strauss in 1973.[3] In 1989, he married his third wife, the American soprano Gianna Rolandi (1952–2021), whom he had met while conducting at the Metropolitan Opera in 1984.[8] He conducted there operas such as Janácek's The Makropulos Case, Rossini's Le comte Ory and Alban Berg's Lulu.[9] Davis concluded his Glyndebourne tenure in 2000. In 1989, Sir John Drummond appointed Davis as chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO).[10] During his BBC SO tenure, Davis restored the tradition established by Malcolm Sargent of the chief conductor of the BBC SO conducting the Last Night of The Proms. 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,[4][11] in 1998 and in 2000,[3] but he also more seriously addressed the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, Mother Teresa, and Sir Georg Solti in his 1997 Last Night speech.[12] Davis stepped down as chief conductor of BBC SO in 2000 [3] and from then held the title of Conductor Laureate of the orchestra.[13] In 1998 he conducted at the Proms Elgar's Third Symphony that Anthony Payne had derived from the composer's sketches.[3]

In May 1992, Davis was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) and in the 1999 New Year Honours he was appointed a Knight Bachelor.[13] In 2002 he conducted the Prom at the Palace concert, held in the gardens of Buckingham Palace as part of the celebrations for the Queen's Golden Jubilee.[14]

Chicago

Davis became music director and principal conductor of the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2000. His work in Chicago included his first conducting of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen cycle in 2005[15] and the first Chicago production of Michael Tippett's The Midsummer Marriage.[16] His Lyric Opera of Chicago tenure ended at the close of the 2020–2021 season.[17]

In 2005 Davis became Music Advisor to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, for a designated three-year period. In September 2006, he announced that he would relinquish this position with Pittsburgh after the 2007–2008 season.[18] 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.[19]

Melbourne

Davis conducting the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in August 2012

In June 2012 the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) named Davis its chief conductor, effective in January 2013, with an initial contract of four years.[20] In July 2015, the MSO extended Davis's contract through 2019.[21] He conducted chorus and orchestra in August 2012 in works by Percy Grainger, including Tribute to Foster,[22] and subsequently recorded them.[23] He recorded with the orchestra orchestral works by the Australian composer Carl Vine, which was nominated for an ARIA Music Awards in the category Best Classical Album. Davis concluded his MSO chief conductorship in December 2019,[24] and was named Conductor Laureate the following year.[25]

Personal life

Davis and his wife Gianna Rolandi resided in Chicago.[5] They married in 1989 and their marriage lasted until her death in 2021.[26] Their son Edward Frazier Davis, born in 1989, is a composer and a graduate of Knox College.[27]

Davis died from leukaemia in Chicago, on 20 April 2024, at the age of 80.[3][5][28][29]

Repertoire

Davis performed a wide range of repertoire, with a particular focus on British composers, such as Harrison Birtwistle, Benjamin Britten, Edward Elgar[25] and Michael Tippett,[25][30] He conducted the British premiere of Tippett's The Mask of Time. Davis programmed 20th-century music by composers including Pierre Boulez, Leoš Janáček and Olivier Messiaen, and participated in world premieres, both as player and conductor.[25]

Recordings

Davis recorded for a number of labels, including NMC Recordings, Teldec and Deutsche Grammophon.[31]

He conducted a solo album by mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, Frederica von Stade – Mahler Songs, of Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn and Rückert-Lieder, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra for Columbia in 1978.[32] In 1987 he recorded Handel's Messiah in an arrangement that he had made for symphony orchestra, with Kathleen Battle, Florence Quivar, John Aler, Samuel Ramery and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, by EMI.[33] He made a critically acclaimed recording of Birtwistle's opera, The Mask of Orpheus.[34] A recording of Alban Berg's Violin Concerto and Three Pieces for Orchestra with the BBC SO was released in 2022.

Davis recorded a series with the BBC SO and Chorus of music by British composers for Teldec, The British Line. It was reissued as a 16-CD retrospective by Warner Classics. He also recorded works by Hector Berlioz, Arthur Bliss, York Bowen (nominated for a 2012 Grammy in 2012 in the category Best Orchestral Performance), Frederick Delius, Elgar (2018 Diapason d'Or in the category symphonic music), Gerald Finzi, Eugene Aynsley Goossens, Percy Grainger, Handel (nominated for a 2018 Grammy for Best Choral Performance), Gustav Holst, Charles Ives, and Jules Massenet (2021 JUNO Award for Best Classical Album: Vocal or Choral).[33]

Videos

In the 1992 DVD Glyndebourne Festival Opera: A Gala Evening, recorded live by Arthaus Musik, Davis contributed several sections conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra, including Montserrat Caballé as Verdi's Desdemona.[35]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Blyth, Alan (2002) [2001]. "Davis, Sir Andrew". Grove Music Online. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.07304. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
  2. ^ International Who's Who in Classical Music. Vol. 19. Europa Publications. 2003. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-8574-3174-2.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Millington, Barry (22 April 2024). "Sir Andrew Davis obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Walsh, John (13 September 1997). "Conductor of hope and glory". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  5. ^ a b c Nanji, Noor (21 April 2024). "Sir Andrew Davis: BBC Proms conductor dies aged 80". BBC. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Doole, Kerry (23 April 2024). "Obituaries: Toronto Symphony Orchestra's Sir Andrew Davis, Toronto CFNY Radio Host James Reid". ca.billboard.com. Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  7. ^ Littler, William (8 May 2015). "The TSO's Englishman in Toronto". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  8. ^ "Obituary: Gianna Rolandi Davis". Donnellan Family Funeral Services, Tribute Archive. June 2021. Archived from the original on 9 August 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  9. ^ Whitley, John (28 June 1997). "Does he have what it takes?". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  10. ^ Burton, Humphrey (8 September 2006). "Obituary: Sir John Drummond". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  11. ^ Cannadine, David (May 2008). "The 'Last Night of the Proms' in historical perspective". Historical Research. 81 (212): 315–349. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2281.2008.00466.x.
  12. ^ Cowan, Robert; Seckerson, Edward (15 September 1997). "Last Saturday saw the Last Night of the Proms and the first night of the Royal Opera's exile at the Barbican. Robert Cowan and Edward Seckerson were at the respective venues...". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  13. ^ a b "Andrew Davis / Conductor Laureate". BBC. 2024. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Sonniger Klassik-Auftakt zum Golden Jubilee". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). 2 June 2002. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  15. ^ Kettle, Martin (7 April 2005). "Der Ring des Nibelungen (Lyric Opera, Chicago)". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  16. ^ Westwood, Matthew (21 August 2009). "Davis's baton change". The Australian. ProQuest 356665245. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Sir Andrew Davis' Australian Appointment". Classic FM. 17 June 2012. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  18. ^ Druckenbrod, Andrew (29 September 2006). "Future succession to keep PSO busy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on 23 December 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2007.
  19. ^ Druckenbrod, Andrew (27 October 2007). "Davis backs out of PSO concerts". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on 23 December 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2007.
  20. ^ "Sir Andrew Davis announced as Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Chief Conductor" (Press release). Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. 18 June 2012. Archived from the original on 27 March 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  21. ^ "Chief Conductor Sir Andrew Davis to lead the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra until 2019" (Press release). Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. 27 July 2015. Archived from the original on 11 April 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  22. ^ "Tribute to Foster". Australian Music Centre. 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  23. ^ "Percy Grainger". Chandos. 2024. Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  24. ^ McPherson, Angus (10 April 2018). "Sir Andrew Davis to step down from Melbourne Symphony Orchestra". Limelight. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  25. ^ a b c d "Sir Andrew Davis / Conductor Laureate / In memoriam: 2013-2024". Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. April 2024. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  26. ^ Bordello, Enzo (20 June 2021). "Gianna Rolandi 1952-2021". Parterre Box. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  27. ^ Wright-Pryor, Barbara (16 June 2012). "Sir Andrew Davis receives honorary degree from Knox College". The Chicago Crusader. Archived from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  28. ^ Brown, Mark (21 April 2024). "Sir Andrew Davis, ex-chief conductor of BBC Symphony Orchestra, dies aged 80". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  29. ^ Chris Jones (21 April 2024). "Conductor Andrew Davis, music director emeritus of Lyric Opera, dies at 80". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  30. ^ Cairns, David (March 1998). "Images of beauty: Michael Tippett 1905–1998". The Musical Times. 139 (1861): 4–5. Archived from the original on 8 May 2002. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  31. ^ Ashley, Tim (23 February 2007). "Chopin: Piano Concerto No 1; Liszt: Piano Concerto No 1, Li/ Philharmonia/ Davis". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  32. ^ Forsling, Göran (June 2011). "Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) / Songs". musicweb-international.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  33. ^ a b Hugill, Robert (February 2009). "George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) / Messiah". musicweb-international.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  34. ^ "Birtwistle". BBC Music Magazine. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
  35. ^ Rohan, Mscott (May 2004). "Glynbourne Festival Opera – A Gala Evening". Gramophone. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
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External links

Cultural offices
Preceded by Music Director, Glyndebourne Opera Festival
1988–2000 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Principal Conductor, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
1995–1998 (with Paavo Järvi) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Music Director, Lyric Opera of Chicago
2000–2021 		Succeeded by
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