Andrew Wailes

Andrew Keith Wailes (born 7 September 1971) is an Australian conductor and music director. Winner of the Australasian International Choral Conducting Competition in Brisbane in 1999, he is the current Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra, Artistic Director of The Australian Children's Choir, Principal Conductor of the Melbourne University Choral Society, Music Director and Conductor of the Box Hill Chorale, and Director of the Australian Catholic University Melbourne Campus Choir. He is a former President of the Australian Intervarsity Choral Societies Association, and currently is Artistic Administrator of The Chamber Strings of Melbourne.

Born in Melbourne, Wailes was educated at Caulfield Grammar School, where he was active as a student musician, performing in a wide range of ensembles as a flautist and also as a singer in various church and community choirs. He began his early music education as a treble in the Choir of St George's Anglican Church (Malvern), where he eventually rose to the position of Head Chorister, and appeared with various Royal School of Church Music-affiliated choirs.

Wailes continued to pursue a passion for choral music in various choirs upon leaving school, and played in various amateur orchestras throughout his secondary and early university years. While studying Arts/Law at Monash University, Wailes became heavily involved with the Monash University Choral Society (MonUCS), eventually accepting an invitation to become Assistant Conductor, and serving in a number of committee positions including several years as MonUCS President. He was subsequently awarded life membership of MonUCS for over ten years of dedication to the choir as singer, concert manager, assistant conductor, and briefly on two separate occasions as conductor pro tem. During this time he was also invited to take up the post of conductor at the Melbourne University Choral Society (MUCS), and was actively involved in the Australian National Choral Association (ANCA) as a member of the editorial committee of the National Choral Journal "Sing Out", as well as the Australian Intervarsity Choral Societies Association (AICSA), serving as National President for a number of years, and convening the 49th Australian Intervarsity Choral Festival. Wailes also performed extensively as a soloist with various choirs and early music ensembles, including several seasons with the National Youth Choir of Australia, the Geelong Early Music Group, and The Australian Opera (Opera Australia). He made his debut with The Australian Opera as an apprentice in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nuremberg in 1995.

...
Wikipedia