Kenneth Andrews

Music Director and Conductor, ONNY

Kenneth Andrews has served as Music Director and Conductor for The Orchestra of Northern New York since its founding in 1988. He has also served as Music Director and Conductor for the Castle Farms Festival Orchestra, Champlain Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Ohio University Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, The Bay View Symphony Orchestra, the Crane Chamber Orchestra and as Interim Music Director for the Crane Symphony Orchestra from 2009–2011. In addition to guest conducting such orchestras as the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, the Bay View Music Festival Orchestra, The American String Teachers’ Association (ASTA) Orchestra, and the Garth Newell Festival Orchestra, Mr. Andrews is a frequent guest conductor for youth and all-state orchestras in the U.S. and Canada. He served as the Music Director of the Syracuse Symphony Youth Orchestra from 2000–2008, has been Music Director for the Crane Youth Music Symphony Orchestra since 2006, was on the conducting staff at the Interlochen Summer Arts Academy from 2005–2010 and has guest conducted the New York ALL-STATE Orchestra. As a flutist, Mr. Andrews performed as Associate Principal Flute with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and has been Principal and Guest Principal with several other orchestras and festivals. He has performed under such conductors as Zubin Mehta, Leonard Slatkin, Jean Martinon, Charles Dutoit, and Franz Paul Decker. As a recitalist, soloist with orchestras, chamber musician, competition judge, and clinician, he has performed throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe and has been featured on public radio and television. Mr. Andrews is a former first-place winner for the flute division of the Pittsburgh International Wind Competition and has performed several summers at the Canna International Chamber Music Festival in Italy and has appeared several times as a guest soloist or conductor at the Garth Newell Festival in Virginia. Since the fall of 1986, he has been on the faculty of the Crane School of Music at The State University of New York at Potsdam, where he teaches flute, is Music Director for the Contemporary Music Ensemble, coaches chamber music, and performs with the Potsdam Baroque Chamber Players and Potsdam Woodwind Quintet. In May 2013, Professor Andrews was promoted to the rank of Distinguished Service Professor by the State University of New York Chancellor and Board of Trustees. His awards have included the President’s Award for excellence in Research and Creative Endeavors, the State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, the New York State United University Professors Excellence Award for Outstanding Professional Performance and Community Service, the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Research and Scholarship, and, in May 2008, was awarded the North Country Citation from St. Lawrence University for enhancing the quality of life in the North Country. Mr. Andrews has served on the faculties at Indiana University, Concordia University (Montreal), and Ohio University. He has been Artist-in-Residence at the Bay View Music Festival and a Resident Artist at the Banff Centre for the Arts. Kenneth Andrews received his B.M. and M.M. degrees with high honors from Indiana University in Bloomington, where he studied with noted flutist James Pellerite and was awarded the Performer’s Certificate. Conducting teachers have included Dr. Karl Ahrendt, Tibor Kozma and Wolfgang Vacano.