Why I Chose Backun
"From the first note I played on the Lumière I was transfixed by the incredible beauty of its tone. So pure and so even in every register and any dynamic. This is a truly special clarinet."
About
Principal Clarinet with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (TSO) since 2012, Andrew Seymour studied with Robert Schubert at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) where he completed a Bachelor of Music Performance in 2001. He is a former member of the Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) and first performed with the TSO as part of the TSO-AYO Orchestral Development Program in 2005. He was active as a freelance musician in Melbourne, having performed with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra, Australian Classical Players and Lyric Opera of Melbourne, as well as The Phantom of the Opera and Dr Zhivago. Between 2009 and 2011 he toured nationally as a member of the orchestra for OzOpera, Opera Australia’s touring company. Andrew was singled out by The West Australian review of OzOpera’s production of Verdi’s La Traviata, saying “his every note was meaningful.” In 2010 he performed Schubert’s The Shepherd on the Rock with Sara Macliver and Amir Farid at the Melbourne Recital Centre. In 2014 Andrew was featured in recital on ABC Classic FM’s Sunday Live program, his performance praised by Limelight Magazine as being “soaring and colourful” and by the Hobart Mercury as “an astonishing display of instrumental virtuosity.” Recently, Andrew has performed as guest principal Clarinet with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, West Australian and Canberra Symphony Orchestras. He has also performed as guest principal Eb Clarinet with the Queensland and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras. In 2016 Andrew made his solo debut with the TSO performing the Copland Clarinet Concerto under the baton of Chief Conductor Marko Letonja. His performance was described by The Hobart Mercury as “sensitive and beautifully shaded” and “gloriously vibrant.”
Since 2017 Andrew has been a profile staff member at the University of Tasmania, Conservatorium of Music, where he is Lecturer in Clarinet and Coordinator of Woodwind.
