As a former graduate and a triple scholarship holder of the Guildhall and the Paris Conservatiore, a former student of composition with Edmund Rubbra and Oliver Messiaen Andrew's clear intention was to follow the path of classical composition, writing 4 symphonies, much piano music, classical songs and chamber music, including an early wind quintet which won the Leicestershire Festival composition competition judged by Michael Tippett. But a dominating propensity to extemporise and improvise, useful also in jazz and pop, led instead to a multifaceted career as a freelance musician, working in cabaret, shows and ballet and as a session and backing musician for bands and musicians, recording in studios and radio, working in ships, hotels, theatres, colleges, concert halls, churches, palaces, football grounds......... Written composition is still, for him, the apex of music, however; so that, along with his large repertoire of original numbers and arrangements, these experiences in popular music have resulted in a 'groovy' style of classical composition heavily influenced by his love of the renaissance and baroque periods, the two areas often being indistinct in melodic and harmonic style. This music is performed by his various ensembles consisting of jazz, soul and classical performers, using a mix of contemporary keyboards and classical instruments, for whom he has especially written a range of works. He is currently working on some commissions and extending his piano repertoire for his own performance, alongside his jazz and soul numbers. Selected works More information and sound extracts of Andrew's music can be downloaded at his web site www.andrewsterling.co.uk