Andrew Gourlay

Andrew Gourlay (born 1982) is a British conductor.

Born in Jamaica, Gourlay was subsequently raised in the Bahamas, the Philippines, Japan and the United Kingdom. He is of Russian ancestry.

Gourlay began his musical training on the piano and the trombone. As a trombonist in his early twenties, he played with such orchestras as the Philharmonia, BBC Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Hallé Orchestra and the London Sinfonietta. He was a member of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, with whom he played under the baton of their founder, Claudio Abbado.

Gourlay studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and University of Manchester, before specialising in conducting at the Royal College of Music in London, where he prepared orchestras for Bernard Haitink and Sir Roger Norrington. He acted as cover conductor for Kurt Masur, Valery Gergiev, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Sir Colin Davis, twice replacing Davis at the Barbican Centre, London. In 2010, he won First Prize at the Cadaqués Orchestra International Conducting Competition. From 2010 to 2012, he was assistant conductor to Sir Mark Elder and The Hallé.

In 2014, Gourlay became Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica...

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