— Last updated: March 3, 2024

Andrew Wailes

Andrew enjoys a busy performing and teaching schedule as a conductor, chorus-master, workshop leader, professional singer, and an experienced adjudicator. He is widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading symphonic choral conductors, having directed many of Melbourne’s major choirs over a thirty-year career that has seen him perform an impressive repertoire of major symphonic choral works, as well as a wide range of orchestral, opera, chamber and acapella music, both in Australia and overseas.

Following musical training as a flautist, and as a chorister in various Royal School of Church Music choirs, Andrew studied 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 (in Orchestral and Choral Conducting) at Monash University, and following studies in Political Science and Law, concentrated on his musical career, studying choral conducting with leading international choral specialists including Simon Halsey, and John Rutter (UK), Jo-Michael Scheibe, and Professor Rod Eichenberger (USA), Stefan Parkman (Denmark), as well as some of Australia’s leading conducting pedagogues.

Andrew has been Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra since 1998. In 2024 he celebrates 30 years directing the Melbourne University Choral Society, and he has successfully directed the Box Hill Chorale for over 25 years. He also regularly returns to Queensland as Conductor and seasonal Music Director of the Sunshine Coast Oriana Choir and The Sinfonia of St Andrew’s in Brisbane. In 2024 Andrew is pleased to take up a new appointment as Conductor and Musical Director of The Star Chorale.

For over 20 years, Andrew was the Artistic Director of The Australian Children’s Choir, successfully leading the ACC on major international tours (to England, New Zealand, China, Canada, USA, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria) and extensively around Australia, and directing hundreds of high-profile performances and recordings.

Andrew is a former Principal Guest Conductor of The Australian Classical Players’ Orchestra, the Chamber Strings of Melbourne, and has directed Faculty Choirs and ensembles at the University of Melbourne Faculty of Music, Monash University, Melba Conservatorium, and Victorian College of the Arts. For ten years he also lectured in conducting and directed choral studies at the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne, and has also lectured in Music History and Performance Acoustics at the Quantum SAE Institute.

In 1999 Andrew was the winner of the prestigious Australasian International Choral Conducting Competition in Brisbane. He has appeared as guest conductor with major choirs and orchestras from the USA, Finland, Sweden, UK, South Africa, Ireland, Canada, Italy, France, Germany and New Zealand, with groups such as the Stuttgart Radio Orchestra, Camerata Academica Freiburg, and Orchester der Universität Stuttgart (Germany), Bach Choir of London (UK), Guangzhou Philharmonic (China), Christchurch Sinfonia (NZ) Yale Glee Club and Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum (USA), Candomino Choir (Finland), and local ensembles such as Orchestra Victoria, Melbourne Opera Orchestra, Chamber Made Opera, Lyric Opera of Melbourne, VCA Symphony Orchestra, Royal Australian Navy Band, Melbourne Youth Orchestra, the Academy of Melbourne, Choir of Trinity College Melbourne, The Impossible Orchestra, Brisbane Symphony Orchestra, the Sunshine Coast Oriana Choir, Sinfonia of St Andrew’s in Brisbane, and Stonnington Symphony Orchestra.

Andrew has directed choirs for many major televised events, including the opening of Federation Square in Melbourne and Stadium Australia in Sydney, the opening ceremony of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, the closing ceremony of the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, the Melbourne Cup, the ANZAC Day Dawn Service and Battle for Australia at the Shrine of Remembrance, the President’s Cup, the Logies, the Australian Film Industry Awards, and the 2016 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo to name a few.

A trained singer, Andrew has a great deal of experience as a chorister in various chamber, liturgical, and symphonic choirs, and also as a professional consort singer and as a soloist in concert oratorio, and opera. He has performed on stage professionally with groups such as Opera Australia, IHOS Opera, Past Echoes Early Music Ensemble, and is a former member of the National Youth Choir of Australia.

Andrew founded the RMP Aria Oratorio competition in Melbourne in 2006 and advises International Music Festivals and Touring Companies in both the USA and Europe. He is also an experienced Adjudicator, having served in that capacity at various competitions around Australia, the USA, China, and New Zealand.

Andrew has been the recipient of several awards and nominations including a prestigious Green Room Award Nomination (for best Opera Conductor) and has been the recipient of a Deakin Community Award. He is proud to be a Life Member or Patron of no less than six Melbourne choirs and orchestras and was listed in the inaugural edition of the Who’s Who in Victoria.

Visit Andrew’s personal website: www.andrewwailes.com.au