Andrew Plant studied the piano in London with Christopher Elton, took his first music degree at The University of Leeds and his doctorate at The University of Birmingham, where he worked with Jan Smaczny and Stephen Banfield and was a visiting lecturer. His Ph.D. thesis was the first major biographical and analytical study of the composer Christian Darnton. Andrew is also an expert on the music of Britten: after teaching the music scholars at Uppingham for several years, he spent almost a decade on the staff of The Britten–Pears Foundation. Following this appointment, he was invited to become Assistant Director of Music at St George’s School, Windsor Castle; he now combines his freelance work with the position of Director of Music at St John’s Beaumont, Old Windsor. He has also been an external academic supervisor for King’s College, Cambridge and has contributed to several major scholarly publications. He co-founded Sounding Art Press with artist Jane Mackay and they continue to explore new projects.
Andrew enjoys a long-standing and particularly fruitful recital partnership with virtuoso counter-tenor James Bowman, with whom he has appeared throughout the UK, broadcast live on Radio 3 and recorded for Signum Classics and the award-winning NMC Songbook. Andrew has also partnered Ben Alden, Stephen Burrows, Nicholas Clapton, Lynne Dawson, Nigel Dixon, Michael George, Stefan Holmström, James Gilchrist, Julie Kennard, James Laing, Philip Lancaster, Alexander Learmonth, Ed Lyon, Ralph McDonald, Daniel Norman, Ana-Maria Rincon and the treble Andrew Swait. He has worked with a number of distinguished conductors, including Steuart Bedford, and is also committed to new music: he has given first performances of several early songs by Britten, and works by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Ivor Gurney, Sadie Harrison, Colin Matthews, Joseph Phibbs, Tom Rose, Giles Swayne and Arthur Wills.
Future plans comprise further solo recitals with James Bowman; a recording with Ben Alden, including the premiere of three commissioned songs by Joseph Phibbs; further recitals with Stephen Burrows, Philip Lancaster and Alexander Learmonth; an appearance with recorder player John Turner; a programme of English songs with Quintessential Voices; and the development of a duo with the percussionist Sam Wilson.