After studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with horn professors Anthony Halstead, Jeffrey Bryant and Anthony Chidell, he freelanced with all of London's major orchestras and period instrument ensembles before specialising on historical instruments when Sir Roger Norrington appointed him as principal horn of the London Classical Players in 1990. One of his main areas of interest since then has been the high "clarino" horn parts written in many eighteenth century works, characteristically composed by Bach, Handel, and occasionally Haydn. Examples of the results of this research may be heard in his recordings of all of Bach's twenty-five horn obbligati and several other works, such as Handel's Julius Caesar and Haydn's Symphonies 48 & 51.

In attempting to improve upon knowledge of the natural horn and its technique, Andrew Clark has written a book of Sixteen Etudes, published by Mitre Music, and an article for the Historic Brass Society on the horn's transition to valves as exemplified by the works for horn and piano by Carl Czerny. The latter were recorded with pianist Geoffrey Govier in 1999.

Performing in the Edinburgh Festival in 1996 with Sir Charles Mackerras and the Hanover Band (broadcast "live" on BBC Radio 3) brought prominence in the national press for playing the horn obbligato in Haydn's concert aria Pieta di Me, possibly the highest horn part ever written. It was shortly after these reviews appeared that EMI Classics made contact, resulting in recordings of several of the most famous pieces of chamber music for the horn.

Andrew Clark travels extensively, having performed in North and South America, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Europe. He lives in the south of England with his wife, bassoonist Katrina Russell.

Alternative Biography

Andrew Clark has been blowing down pieces of metal tube ever since he first emptied his grandmother’s kitchen cupboard and found a funnel at the age of two. This interest was transferred to the french horn at school when the education department supplied two new horns for the school orchestra. After one week of using the new instrument he was chastised by the music teacher because it had become tarnished, so for a couple of years he avoided practice for fear of spoiling its shine.

Joining a youth orchestra inspired him to practise, and he started saving his pocket money, eventually persuading his parents to help him buy his first horn: one that was tarnished by much use. In a bid to catch up with technology he purchased a lacquered horn before entering the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1983. There, encouraged by horn professors Halstead, Chidell and Bryant, he was reintroduced to the joys of un-lacquered horns in the form of historical instruments (which should not be subjected to over-zealous polishing) and after graduating he went on to perform with many orchestras and ensembles using both period instruments or their modern counterparts.

Highlights of his career include many years of playing principal horn in London Classical Players (Norrington); Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment; Academy of Ancient Music (Hogwood); English Concert (Pinnock); and Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra (Koopman) with whom he recorded Bach’s Cantatas. As a soloist he has made several commercial recordings: concertos by Vivaldi, Fasch and Crusell; works for horn and piano by Beethoven and Czerny; the Brahms Horn Trio, Mozart’s Horn Quintet and Beethoven’s Sextet. He is also on the teaching staff at London’s Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has performed in forty countries, but is now attempting to tour less often to reduce his carbon foot-print.