Draft:Andrew Blanch
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Comment: In accordance with the Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use, I disclose that I have been paid by my employer for my contributions to this article. AeditorB (talk) 02:10, 22 May 2025 (UTC)
Andrew Blanch | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Sydney, Australia |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation | Guitarist |
| Instrument | Classical guitar |
| Labels | ABC Classic (ABC Music) |
| Website | www |
Andrew Blanch (born 13 September 1991) is an Australian classical guitarist and recording artist..[1][2] He is regarded as one of Australia’s premier classical performers.[3] His career spans solo, chamber, and orchestral performances across Australia, Europe, and the Americas, and he has released multiple critically acclaimed recordings.[1][2]
Early life and education
[edit]Andrew Blanch was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. He began playing guitar at the age of six, choosing the instrument because it differed from those his siblings played.[4] In 2010, at the age of 18, he moved to Canberra to study under Timothy Kain AM, a renowned guitarist, at the Australian National University's ANU School of Music.[5]
Career
[edit]Blanch's repertoire spans the Baroque era to contemporary music, with a strong emphasis on Spanish and Latin American composers. He has commissioned numerous new works, including Guitar Concerto No. 1 by Daniel Rojas, written for Blanch in 2023 and recorded in São Paulo, Brazil under conductor Emmanuele Baldini, with a release expected in 2026.[6]
In addition to his solo work, Blanch is a founding member of the Australian Guitar Quartet, performing with Slava Grigoryan, Leonard Grigoryan, and Vladimir Gorbach.[7] He is also active in chamber music collaborations with harpist Emily Granger, guitarist Ariel Nurhadi, and mezzo-soprano María Eugenia Nieva.[1][8][9] He has performed with Ensemble Offspring, the Bowerbird Collective, and the New Zealand Guitar Quartet.[10][11][12][13]
Blanch is Vice-President of the Classical Guitar Society Sydney[14] and is sponsored by Augustine Strings and Schertler audio equipment.[15] He plays a 2014 Greg Smallman and Sons guitar[16] and is represented by Tier 1 Arts.[17]
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]- Spanish Guitar Music (December 2015)
- Alchemy (with Ariel Nurhadi) (September 2020)
- Suite mágica (with Emily Granger) (February 2024)
- Equinox (with the New Zealand Guitar Quartet) (August 2024)
Also appears on
- MATON (2020) – Nick Wales & Stereogamous
- Untangled (2024) – Nicole Murphy
Awards and recognition
[edit]First Prize, Adelaide International Classical Guitar Competition (2019)[18]
First Prize, Melbourne International Classical Guitar Competition (2016)[19]
First Prize, Whitworth-Roach Classical Music Competition (2015)[20]
First Prize, Sydney Eisteddfod Classical Guitar Competition – Open Age (2010)
Nominee, Best Independent Classical Album – AIR Awards (2021, Alchemy)[21]
Featured on the cover of Limelight Magazine in November 2019 as one of "30 young Australian musicians destined for greatness"[22]
Limelight Magazine Recording of the Month – November 2020 (Alchemy)[23]
Suite mágica was praised as "one of the most extraordinary albums to come out of Australia in a long time" by the Sydney Arts Guide[24]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Andrew Blanch & Ariel Nurhadi: Alchemy". ABC Music. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Andrew Blanch & Emily Granger: Suite mágica". ABC Music. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Classic Australia: Emily Granger and Andrew Blanch". ABC Classic. 2024-03-01. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Andrew Blanch and the Unusual Instrument". Limelight. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Legends – Timothy Kain". ABC Classic. 2023-02-05. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Daniel Rojas announcement on Facebook". Facebook. 2024-04-01. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "About – Australian Guitar Quartet". Australian Guitar Quartet. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Suite mágica: Harp and Guitar". ABC Classic. February 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ Kirkwood, Jo (26 January 2025). "The moment I knew: He hugged me and I didn't want to let go". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Ensemble Offspring's The Surge takes us back to the 90s". Limelight. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Nocturnal – The Bowerbird Collective". Bowerbird Collective. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Review of New Zealand Guitar Quartet". Creative Tauranga Hub. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Equinox – New Zealand Guitar Quartet". Bandcamp. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "About". Classical Guitar Society Sydney. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Instagram Reel: Blanch with sponsors". Instagram. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Talented young guitar player returns to the Sydney Opera House on his own terms". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Tier 1 Arts – Andrew Blanch". Tier 1 Arts. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Andrew Blanch triumphs at Adelaide Guitar Festival". Limelight. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Sydney-based guitarist takes home top Melbourne prize". Limelight. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Whitworth-Roach Classical Music Competition returns for second year". Australian National University. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Classical nominees at the AIR Independent Music Awards". Limelight. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Gen Next: 30 brilliant young musicians making their mark". Limelight. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Andrew Blanch and Ariel Nurhadi on Alchemy". Limelight. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Album Launch – Suite mágica". Sydney Arts Guide. 10 February 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2025.