Andrew currently plays Principal Tuba for the Scottish Symphony Orchestra as well as having a busy career as an arranger and composer.
Andrew Duncan started music lessons at school first learning the trombone then Tuba. He studied at Napier University in Edinburgh and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
In 1984 he joined the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester as Principal Tuba, a post he held for 16 years during which time he toured worldwide and in 1998 gave the world premiere of the John Golland Tuba Concerto. He has played for all the leading UK orchestras and Opera companies, for London Brass, for the Brass Band of Battle Creek and for Hallé Brass.
Andrew wrote his first composition in 1993, his Concerto for Trombone. The premiere was given by the Hallé Orchestra in 1994 and this led to Andrew becoming a regular arranger for the orchestra. In 2000 his composition A Tale of Two Empires for orchestra and brass band was premiered by the Hallé Orchestra in 2000 and more recently was played in 2015 with the Hallé and the Foden’s Band. Andrew is well known as an arranger and composer for brass band and has won the prestigious ‘best new arrangement’ prize at Brass in Concert six times. His music is published by Duncan Music Press, Faber Music and by The Music Company (UK) Ltd. Andrew has also written commercial music for television and adverts. These pieces were recorded for the Audio Network music library in London at Abbey Road, sometimes with Andrew conducting the sessions himself. He has also worked with the folk singer Kate Rusby for many years, arranging the brass parts for the music in her albums.
Andrew has enjoyed a long teaching career in parallel with his playing career and has been tuba tutor at Huddersfield University, the RNCM in Manchester, The University of Salford, Chethams School of Music and at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He has done masterclasses recently at the RCS in London and at the RNCM in Manchester.
As a brass band conductor Andrew has conducted a number of bands to various events including Whitburn Band, Kingdom Brass, Newtongrange Band, Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Kinneil Band and the Brighouse and Rastrick Band.
