Who was Sir Andrew Davis? Former chief conductor of BBC Symphony Orchestra dies at 80

Sir Andrew Davis, the former chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra has passed away aged 80 on April 20, 2024, after a battle with leukemia.

Davis's agent confirmed his death to BBC, mentioning that many would "celebrate" his career for a long time. He said:

"[He lived] a remarkable, rich, meaningful life." The agent added that many would celebrate Sir Andrew's career "for a long time".

Born in Hertfordshire, Sir Andrew Davis was a regular performer at many of the world's finest orchestras. He was one of the longest-serving conductors of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, which he headed for more than a decade. He also served as the musical director of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

Davis passed away in Chicago, where he had shifted to with his third wife in 2000.

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Sir Andrew Davis led Last Night of the Proms several times in the 1990s

Sir Andrew was known for hosting the Last Night of the Proms multiple times during the 1990s. He was also celebrated for his funny speeches as a regular in the BBC Proms concerts in London.

Notably, he conducted the proms in 1997 and addressed the deaths of many eminent personalities, including Mother Teresa.

Sir Davis was an alumnus of the Royal College of Music. He also attended King's College, Cambridge where he studied music with a focus on organ. In the late 1960s, he studied conducting at Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome.

He began his career in 1970 as an associate conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Five years later in 1975, Sir Davis became the music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and was later promoted to the position of Conductor Laureate at the TSO. The Royal Opera House wrote on X:

"Sir Davis made his Royal Opera debut in 1983. In his debut, he conducted Der Rosenkavalier. His last concert featured a performance of Capriccio in 2013."

In 1988, Sir Andrew Davis was made the music director of Glyndebourne. The following year, he became the chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The conductor also became the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1992.

Following his retirement from BBC in 2000, he moved to the United States to take up the post of music director at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

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Tributes pour in to honor the legacy of Sir Andrew Davis following his demise

The official X account of the Royal Opera House wrote a tribute message for Sir Andrew Davis following his demise.

"We are saddened to hear of the death of conductor Sir Andrew Davis. In a career spanning over 5 decades, he was the artistic leader of several of the world's most distinguished opera and symphonic institutions including BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus and Glyndebourne."

The message continued:

"He made his Royal Opera debut in 1983 conducting Der Rosenkavalier and last conducted Capriccio (in concert) in 2013. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time."

Fellow conductor and musician, Julian Lloyd Webber, took to X to write a tribute message for Sir Davis. He said:

"Sad to learn of the death of Sir Andrew Davis. A great musician who was wonderful with his soloists. I treasure the memory of a lovely Delius Concerto in 2012 with Philharmonia Orchestra. RIP."

Sakari Oramo, the current chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra also shared a message for Sir Davis.

David Pickard, the present director of BBC Proms expressed on X that Davis's "enthusiasm for music knew no bounds."