Andrew Marriner

Andrew Marriner was principal clarinetist of the London Symphony Orchestra for many years. Unusually active as a chamber player, he is also in demand as an educator. Marriner was born in London on February 25, 1954. His father was Sir Neville Marriner, conductor of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, and he literally grew up with that organization, which in its early years was headquartered in the Marriner family home. Andrew attended King's College School, Cambridge, where he sang as a chorister and was heard on a number of King's College Choir recordings. He also attended The King's School in Canterbury, where he took up the clarinet and soon won a place with Britain's National Youth Orchestra and played under such conductors as Pierre Boulez. Marriner matriculated at Oxford but then moved to Germany to study clarinet with Hans Deinzer at the Hochschule für Musik Hannover. Back in London, he began a long chamber music career, performing with the Chilingirian and Endellion String Quartets and forming his own wind quintet, the Albion Ensemble. In 1977, he played for the first time with the London Symphony Orchestra, and in 1983, he served as guest principal clarinetist for the orchestra's world tour. His recording career began on the EMI label with a recording of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622, with the London Mozart Players. In 1986, on the retirement of Jack Brymer, he became principal clarinetist of the London Symphony. He also served concurrently for a time as principal clarinetist of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. As a soloist, Marriner has appeared at major halls in Britain and around the world, including La Scala in Milan, La Fenice in Venice, and the Musikverein in Vienna. Supportive of contemporary music, he has commissioned and premiered works by such composers as Robin Holloway, Dominic Muldowney, and John Tavener. With the London Symphony, he appeared on many recordings, including the soundtracks for Amadeus, Braveheart, and The King's Speech, as well as John Williams' scores for Star Wars and Harry Potter films. He issued several solo albums, including one of Gerald Finzi's Clarinet Concerto on the Decca label in 2003. He has taught at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Royal Academy of Music, and various schools in Australia and the U.S., and he remains in demand as a competition judge. Unusually active as a chamber player, Marriner has collaborated with various groups such as the Moscow and Belcea String Quartets, and his duet partners include such luminaries as Alfred Brendel, André Previn, and András Schiff. Marriner retired from the London Symphony in 2019 but remains active, and in 2021, he was heard on the London Symphony recording Mozart Wind Concertos, playing Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, the work with which his recording career had begun.
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