violoncello
Andrew began to take 'cello lessons with the late Kenneth Hewlings at the age of seven, but it was not until he joined a local orchestra that was preparing a performance of Rimsky Korsakov's Scheherazade at the age of thirteen that he began to take his studies seriously.
Under the tutelage of Pauline Jones, he soon progressed in both technical ability and musical understanding, rapidly ascending to repertoire including Bach's 'Cello Suites, Brahms' 'Cello Sonata in e, and Elgar's 'Cello Concerto.
He gave his first solo recital at sixteen, performing Bach's First 'Cello Suite, and rapidly gained reputation as a soloist in his area. He became a regular guest artist with Tenby Male Choir, and with a number of other groups, dividing his solos between the 'cello and either organ or piano.
When Pauline Jones left Britain for Canada in 2000, Andrew resolved to remain self-taught for a time, although he sought out excellent help from Neil Wilkinson and his wife when he chose to enter himself for the grade 8 ABRSM examination. At seventeen, he developed a fascination with technical extremes that led him to Kodaly's Opus 8 Sonata for solo 'cello. He performed the first movement of this work in the Pembrokeshire Music Festival, gaining first prize for strings.
Whilst at Cambridge, Andrew gave a considerable number of recitals in a wide variety of venues, with Bach's 'Cello Suites forming the backbone of his repertoire.
