Andrew Brady
Biography
Native Tennessean Andrew Brady joined The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in the 2022-23 season as Principal Bassoon. Brady comes to Minnesota from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, having served there as Principal Bassoon since January 2016. Prior to the ASO, Brady held the same position for two years with the Louisiana Philharmonic.
As a soloist, Brady has performed concertos by Hertel, Rossini, Mozart, Weber and Zwilich with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Southeast Symphony, the Los Angeles Doctor’s Symphony and The Colburn Orchestra. He appears regularly as Principal Bassoonist with the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra, and he has performed as guest principal with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, as well as at Carnegie Hall and on European tours with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
Brady’s artistry is in high demand and has taken him to South Africa, Korea, China, Mexico and the United Kingdom as well as many destinations within the contiguous United States for both performances and teaching engagements. In past summers, Brady has been a proud member of the Chineke! Orchestra including a performance at the 2017 BBC Proms. The ensemble is the UK’s first Black and ethnically diverse orchestra and seeks to promote diversity and change within classical music by increasing representation and visibility of musicians of color. Andrew is also thrilled to have participated in the “Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom” concert with the Re-Collective Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl in June 2022. The concert was broadcast live on CNN and marked the first performance of an all-black orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl. The celebration featured such legendary artists as Chaka Khan, The Roots, Michelle Williams and Earth, Wind & Fire.
Enthusiastically involved in music education, Brady has taught as an Artist-in-Residence at Kennesaw State University, and he is sought after for masterclasses and private tutelage. He has also served on the faculties of the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute, Brevard Music Center, Festival Napa Valley and National Youth Orchestra/NYO2 through Carnegie Hall.
Brady graduated with his Bachelor of Music degree from The Colburn School Conservatory of Music in 2013, where he studied with Richard Beene. Other major teachers and influences include Anthony Parnther, Rick Ranti and Suzanne Nelsen.
Q & A
What year did you join the ASO?
2016
Why did you choose your instrument?
I thought it looked cool and challenging. All those thumb keys and archaic fingerings!
What's the most interesting or difficult facet of your instrument?
All the thumb keys and archaic fingerings! But seriously, I think the most difficult part of playing bassoon is the reed making. It’s a big-time investment, during which I’d rather be practicing, but without a good reed, all the practicing doesn’t count for much. The reed is the biggest part of a bassoonist’s sound.
Do you come from a musical family?
Absolutely! Everyone in my family has a nice voice, and a couple of my aunts have used theirs singing on Broadway! Music was always a part of my upbringing. I was steeped in it.
Earliest musical memory?
My mother taking me to Kindermusik. I loved getting to learn about and take home different musical instruments. I also used to perform “concerts” for family friends on our front porch. I’d invite them over after church (without my parents’ knowledge) and usually just give a review of the songs the choir had already sung that day in service.