Andrew Somerville

Andrew Somerville's extensive performance experience includes recital, concerto and chamber engagements at Cadogan Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields, the Southbank Center, Wigmore Hall, and music clubs throughout Scotland. Committed to new music, Andrew has been involved in commissioning and/or premiering new works by Charlotte Bray, Tansy Davies, Edward McGuire, and Ailie Robertson. He has also worked with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Ballet, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Earlier in his career, Andrew benefitted from participating in young artist programs offered by Britten Pears, Chamber Music Scotland, Live Music Now, and the Park Lane Group.

Andrew is Lecturer of Saxophone at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), where he has the privilege of working with an international class of aspiring professional saxophonists. He also teaches a saxophone class at St Mary’s Music School, Scotland’s specialist music school for talented young musicians aged 9-19. He has presented masterclasses at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and university music schools across the USA. In the summer months Andrew teaches at Young Chamber Music and the RCS Saxophone Summer School. He is also a trustee of the UK’s National Youth Wind Orchestra.

Andrew studied in both the UK and USA; at RCS, the Royal College of Music, where he was the first saxophonist to graduate with the College’s prestigious Artist Diploma, Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois. His studies were generously funded by Caird Trust, Creative Scotland, Help Musicians, Wingate Foundation, EMI, and the BBC. Andrew’s saxophone teachers were Debra Richtmeyer, Frederick Hemke, Kyle Horch, Martin Robertson, and Josef Pacewicz.

In addition to performing and teaching, Andrew pursues related research interests in musicology and education, generating traditional written outputs, research-led artistic practice, and improved outcomes for learning and teaching. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Photo credit: Royal Conservatoire of Scotland / Robbie McFadzean