Andrew Thomas was born in the UK in 1981 and started playing the Pink Panther on the flute at the age of 8.  During his teenage years Andrew continued his flute playing whilst performing in bands and learning the guitar.  However, the years of flute practice paid off when Andrew took his undergraduate degree at the City University, London, majoring in flute performance and composition.  Andrew graduated in 2003 with a first class BMus(hons) degree and has since been studying for an MPhil in Musical Composition at St. Catharine’s College, University of Cambridge.

As a composer Andrew has received tuition from Rhian Samuel, Jonathan Harvey, Robin Holloway, Ken Hesketh, Arlene Sierra and Jeremy Thurlow.  His music is largely concerned with blending lyricism and contemporary techniques and takes a great deal of influence from meditative and oriental thought processes.  Performances and workshops have come from musicians including the Britten Sinfonia under Richard Baker, Sarah Nichols and Henry Herford.  His trio Ni Hon No Hu Kei was placed on the SPNM’s 2003 shortlist and received its premiére by Kokoro (the contemporary music ensemble of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra) as part of the SPNM’s artistic season in October and November 2004.  In December 2003 Andrew was commissioned by St. Catharine’s College Cambridge to write a new work for the chapel choir that was premiéred in February 2004.  Andrew has written music for short animated films and a

largely electronic score for a production of Shakespeare’s Richard III at the ADC Theatre in Cambridge (later toured in Lyon and Paris during March 2004).  Also available for orchestration and arranging, Andrew has worked in a number of mediums including orchestra, big band and barber shop quartets.

Whilst at City University Andrew studied the flute with Katy Gainham at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama which lead to lessons and periods of study with flautists including Ian Clarke, Rowland Sutherland, Kate Lukas and innovative flautist/composer Robert Dick at his home in Switzerland.  Andrew has given numerous solo and duo recitals in London and Cambridge as well as being active as a teacher, chamber and orchestral musician.  Andrew has also performed concerti by Takemitsu and Mozart in major London venues.  Whilst comfortable in all repertoire, Andrew’s particular area of interest and expertise lie in the execution of so-called ‘extended techniques’ and their benefit on the development of core technique.  Andrew has lectured and written a major (unpublished) study on the subject.

Andrew is currently living and working in London and the South East.