"A violinist with extraordinary flair and improvisatory freedom, the Grappelli of the baroque"
-BBC Music Magazine

"The first modern Superstar of the baroque violin"
-The San francisco Examiner

A Cambridge Classicist , Andrew Manze studied the violin with Simon Standage and Marie Leonhardt. Soon after Manze was sought out to fill the position of the Associate Director of The Academy of Ancient Music in 1996 and has just been appointed Artistic Director of
The English Concert from July 2003 as Trevor Pinnock's successor. An artist in residence
at the Swedish Chamber Orchestra. Andrew directed The AAM on their numerous tours across Europe in familiar repertoire (Bach and Vivaldi) and the not so familiar (Pisendel and Geminiani).In his newly appointed role at The English Concert, Andrew will move forwards into classical repertoire, including Mozart's violin concertos, orchestral works andreorchestrations of Handel's oratorios.

Poignantly active as a conductor in large-scale oratorio and symphonic repertoire with the Deutsche Sinfonie Orchester (Bach and Mozart), as well as the symphony orchestras of Stavanger (Mozart, Bach's Christmas Oratorio), Tampere(Bach's Matthew Passion) and Norrköping (Messiah). He guest-directs the chamber orchestras of Zurich, Basel, Västerås and Norway, and period-instrument ensembles such as The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (Schubert and Eybler), the Akademie für Alte Musik, Berlin, Philharmonia Baroque (USA), Tafelmusik and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, Andrew Manze continues to invigorate the 17th- and 18th-century violin repertoire which was followed by tours to the USA (with Richard
Egarr)and a prime debut for Australia.

Manze records exclusively for Harmonia Mundi and has produced an astonishing selection of CDs. Recordings made with ensembles like The Romanesca (trio) ,The AAM (Bach violin and harpsichord concertos, Handel Op.6 etc.), and as a soloist. Manze's accomplishment includes many recognition earned which includes accolades from The Gramophone, Edison and Cannes Classical Awards, the Premio Internazionale del Disco Antonio Vivaldi and the Diapason d'Or - each of them twice. Since 1984 his collaboration with Richard Egarr has been setting new performance standards. Their recordings include violin sonatas by Rebel and Bach (both awarded the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik) and Pandolfi's complete violin sonatas (Gramophone Award 2000). Their recording of the complete sonatas of Handel was Editor's Choice in Gramophone, and notably entered the US Billboard Charts.

Andrew's initial affiliation with the English Concert is entitled 'Night Music' and includes Eine kleine Nachtmusik and Ein Musikalischer Spass.

Musicianship par excellence.