Andrew Smith is a Sydney based saxophonist who is at the forefront of classical saxophone in Australia. A highly active performer, Andrew can be frequently seen performing in chamber (Nexas Quartet) orchestral (Sydney Symphony) and solo settings.
One of the hallmarks of Andrew’s musical endeavors has been his close collaborations with a number of composers resulting in countless premiers of new works. Composers Andrew has worked with include Cyrus Meurant, Tristan Coelho, Paul Castles, Lachlan Skipworth, Mark Oliviero, Mark Bradshaw and Matthew Hindson.
Chamber music is one of Andrew's great passions and has seen numerous performances with Nexas Quartet, Strelitzia Ensemble, Sideband, Ensemble Mongrel, Sirius Chamber Ensemble and Chronology Arts.
Notable festival performances include the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, Adelaide Cabaret, Sydney Festival, Aurora Festival, International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM), and World Saxophone Congress. International performances have seen travels to Scotland, France, Hong Kong and China.
CD releases include: "Tango de Saxos" Nexas Quartet (Da Vinci Classics), "Ballads of a Pleasant Life" Nexas Quartet/Peter Coleman-Wright (ABC Classics), "Current" (Nexas Quartet) and Cyrus Meurant's "4 Pieces" for Soprano Saxophone and Electric Organ. Andrew has also been involved in a number of live to air radio broadcasts for ABC Classic FM and Fine Music 2MBS.
Through performances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Andrew has also had the pleasure to perform solos with pop artists including Natalie Cole, Ben Folds and Conchita Wurst. Andrew has also recorded for a number of soundtracks including the HBO/BBC production "Top of the Lake: China Girl" with music by Mark Bradshaw.
In his saxophone study Andrew was awarded both a B.Mus (Hons) and M.Mus from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. The study of the latter was undertaken with the assistance of the prestigious Henderson Postgraduate Award. Throughout his tertiary study Andrew won numerous competitions and received a number of scholarships as well as furthering his studies with numerous European sojourns.
Andrew lectures in saxophone at the Australian Institute of Music.