User:Andrew Wailes
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Andrew Wailes has gained a reputation as one of Australia's leading young conductors specializing in symphonic choral repertoire, and enjoys a busy performing and teaching schedule both in Melbourne and around Australia. He began his musical studies as a flautist and as a chorister in various Royal School of Church Music choirs, later studying advanced orchestral conducting with the late Robert Rosen and voice with David Ross Smith. He completed a Bachelor of Arts degree and Certificates in Applied Music (Orchestral and Choral Conducting) at Monash University, and folllowing studies in Political Science and Law concentrated on his musical career, also studying conducting with leading international choral specialists including Simon Halsey, and John Rutter (UK), Jo-Michael Sheibe, and Rodney Eichenberger (US), Stefan Parkman (Denmark) as well as many of Australia's leading conductors.
Andrew assumed the role of Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra at the end of 1998, making him one of the youngest persons ever to hold that position in almost 150 years. Andrew's other posts currently include Artistic Director of The Australian Children's Choir, Principal Conductor and Music Director of the Melbourne University Choral Society, Box Hill Chorale, the Australian Catholic University's St Patrick's Campus Choir, and the Monash University Faculty Choir ‘Viva Voce’.
In 1999 Andrew was the winner of the prestigious Australasian International Choral Conducting Competition in Brisbane, and appeared with the acclaimed Candomino Chamber Choir from Helsinki, Finland.
He has also appeared with major choirs from the USA, Sweden, England, South Africa, Ireland, Canada and New Zealand as guest conductor.
Andrew has conducted an impressive list of major works, such as the choral symphonies of Australians Carl Vine and Philip Bracanin, and major choral/ orchestral works such as Peter Sculthorpe’s Requiem, Haydn's The Creation, Handel's Messiah (including the Mozart arrangement), Dixit Dominus and Judas Maccabaeus, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, J.S. Bach's St John Passion, Mozart's Requiem and 'Great' Mass in C minor, Morten Laurisden's Lux Aeterna, Rachmaninov's Vespers, Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem, Rachmaninov’s The Bells, Stravinsky's Symphonyu of Psalms, Orff's Carmina Burana, Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, Elgar's The Spirit of England and Verdi's Requiem and Stabat Mater amongst others. He has also commissioned and conducted numerous first performances of new works by Australian composers such as Peter Sculthorpe, Gordon Kerry, Stephen Leek, Christopher Willcock, Stuart Greenbaum, Nicholas Buc, John Peterson, Colin Brumby and David Howell. He has been guest conductor of ensembles such as the State Orchestra of Victoria, Stuttgart Radio Orchestra (Germany), the Victorian College of the Arts Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Youth Orchestra, Melbourne Sinfonia, Stonnington Symphony Orchestra and in 2001 made his international debut with the Christchurch Sinfonia (New Zealand). The same year he also assisted Maestro Valery Gergiev as backstage conductor and extra chorus director for the Kirov Opera's acclaimed performances of The Fiery Angel for the Melbourne International Festival. In demand as a session conductor for recordings for film and television, Andrew has also appeared with many leading Australian and international performers, including the legendary rock band ‘Kiss’ and the Melbourne Symphony at the Telstra Dome.
Andrew has prepared choirs for many leading Australian and international conductors, for major works such as Britten's War Requiem, Mahler's Symphony II and Symphony VIII, Verdi's Requiem, Bizet's Carmen, and Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky. He has been engaged as a chorusmaster and conductor for the Australian Intervarsity Choral Festival in all Australian capital cities. He has appeared regularly in Melbourne for Independent Classics, conducting major concert events including popular programs such as the Last Night of the Proms and Music from the Movies. In 2003 Andrew was chorus director of the Australian Youth Orchestra's performance of Schoenberg's Gürrelieder for the Perth International Arts Festival.
He also co-conducted the world premiere season of Julian Yu's new opera The Possessed, for Chamber Made Opera and in 2005 conducted Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia for the Lyric Opera of Melbourne (for which he recently received a judge’s nomination for a prestigious Green Room Award for best opera conductor).
In 2004, Andrew undertook several orchestral engagements in Stuttgart (Germany), and led a major concert tour of Europe and the UK with the Australian Children's Choir, directing performances by the ACC and various European ensembles in major European cities including Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Edinburgh, York, Cambridge and London. He returned to conduct and chorusmaster several concerts for the Perth International Arts Festival, the Australian Intervarsity Choral Festival and the Prague Chamber Orchestra (for which he chorus mastered Dvorak’s Stabat Mater for the Perth International Arts Festival).
Andrew has taught or conducted ensembles at the University of Melbourne's Faculty of Music, the School of Music Conservatorium at Monash University, the Melba Conservatorium of Music, and the Victorian College of the Arts. He is currently a lecturer and conductor at the Australian Catholic University, St Patrick's Campus and at Monash University. In 2005 he returned as a guest conductor of the VCA Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Classical Players, and international ensembles including the Yale Glee Club (USA) and Camerata Academica Freiburg (Germany). He has directed choirs for many major televised events, including six AFL Grand Finals, the opening of Stadium Australia, the AFI Awards (twice), and at the Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
Andrew also has extensive experience as a singer. He made his professional operatic debut with the Australian Opera (Opera Australia) as one of the Apprentices in Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and has since appeared with ensembles including Opera Australia, IHOS Opera, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Past Echoes Early Music Group, the National Youth Choir of Australia as well as numerous professional recording ensembles. He is also a regular soloist in concert and oratorio performances, and is frequently engaged as a guest conductor, speaker and teacher at various summer schools and festivals around the country.
