Andrew Cleary began his musical training as a chorister at York Minster and later at St Albans’ Cathedral. In 1987 Andrew was appointed Organ Scholar at Norwich Cathedral and at the University of East Anglia, where he read Music, specialising in conducting and performance and where he founded the chamber choir Cathedral Consort.
After graduating in 1990 Andrew studied at the Royal College of Music in London. In 1991 he was appointed Assistant Organist at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church, London. Whilst there he made several recordings with BBC Television and Radio and continued to develop his work as a choral conductor asMusical Director of the early music ensemble Nuove Musiche and the St Martin’s Scholars.
In 2005 he was appointed as Director of Music at The Portsmouth Grammar School. As well as directing Portsmouth Festival Choir, Andrew is Assistant Sub-Organist at Portsmouth Cathedral, Director of Portsmouth Cathedral Girls Choir (Cantate), and a member of the Kings Theatre Trust.
Andrew has conducted the PGS Chamber Choir in performance with His Majesty’s Sagbutts & Cornetts, the Hanover Band and the London Mozart Players. In November 2005 Andrew conducted the PGS Choir live on BBC Television in the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall with soloists Bryn Terfel and Katherine Jenkins; and in 2008 at the Imperial War Museum for their Remembrance commemorations.
Andrew also enjoys skiing, sailing and long distance running and has completed the London Marathon four times, his best time under 3hrs.