Sir Andrew Davis 1944 - 2024

Internationally Renowned Conductor

Sir Andrew Davis was born in Ashridge, Hertfordshire, England. From the age of five he studied piano. In 1967, he graduated from the King’s College, Cambridge, where he was an organ scholar. He later studied conducting in Rome with Italian conductor Franco Ferrara.

Maestro Davis’s career covered more than fifty years. He was the principal artistic conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO), the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

In 1975 he was named Music Director of the TSO. As leader they toured North America, Europe and Asia. As such, he gained a prestigious reputation. He held the post until 1988 and then took the title of Conductor Laureate.

Over this half-century he conducted roughly 1,000 TSO concerts at a number of different venues, including Roy Thompson Hall, Massey Hall, and Ontario Place.

In 1989, Davis married the soprano Gianna Rolandi, whom he met when she sang Zewrbinetta under his baton; first at the Metropolitan, New York, in 1984 and again at Glyndebourne in 1988. They were married until her death in 2021. Their son, Ed Frazier Davis is a composer and conductor.

One of the most defining attributes of Sir Andrew’s career was the breadth of his repertoire. A vast and an award-winning discography documents Sir Andrew’s renowned artistry.

He was a trained organist, harpsichordist, and pianist. The scale and level of his talent has been described as remarkable. He was a pure musician to the core, a maestro who oozed musicality.

Awards and Honours

• The Royal Philharmonic Society / The Charles Heidsieck Music Award (1991)
• Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire (1992)
• Knight Bachelor in the New York Honors List (1999)
• Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts by Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois (2012)