Andrew Gourlay has been appointed musical direcor of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León. He will take up the post in Valladolid in January 2016, succeeding Lionel Bringuier. Gourlay's debut with the OSCyL was in 2011, and in 2014 he became their principal guest conductor.
Gourlay originally trained as a pianist and trombonist, and has performed with orchestras across the UK including the Hallé, London Symphony Orchestra and BBC Symphony Orchestra. He went on to study conducting at the Royal College of Music, during which time he worked under Sir Roger Norrington and Bernard Haitink. In 2010 he became assistant conductor to Sir Mark Elder at the Hallé, and in 2011 was named by BBC Music Magazine as a ‘Rising Star: Great Artist of Tomorrow’.
Founded in 1991, the OSCyL is a relatively young orchestra that enjoys a fine home at Valladolid's superbly appointed Auditorio Miguel Delibes. Gourlay’s first season as musical director will coincide with the orchestra's 25th anniversary, for which, he says, he has great plans: 'The prospect of working with those fantastic musicians, for whom I have enormous respect, on pieces that the orchestra has never played before is thrilling. I look forward to engaging our audiences with the music that really moves me and about which I feel such a strong connection.'