Andrew Sewell
Maestro Andrew Sewell enters his twenty-sixth season as Music Director of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and ninth season as music director of the San Luis Obispo Symphony on California’s central coast this summer. A conductor in demand, he has successfully built the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra into a regional and nationally known ensemble. In California, since 2017 he has inspired the central coast community with exhilarating performances at Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo.
During his tenure with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Maestro Sewell has raised the orchestra to new artistic heights, expanded the repertoire, and provided new experiences for the audiences through innovative and adventuresome programming. True to its name, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra performs to an annual audience of 250,000 statewide, serving many communities and diverse audiences. Their six Concerts on the Square series draws a weekly audience of 50,000 around the Capitol Square.
Maestro Sewell has served previously as Music Director of the Wichita Symphony (2000-2010), Mansfield (OH) Symphony (1997-2002) and Resident Conductor of the Toledo Symphony (1995-2000). As a guest conductor, he has led the Toronto, Detroit, Milwaukee, Florida, Columbus, Toledo, Syracuse, Illinois, Monterey, Gulf Coast and Eugene Symphony Orchestras as well as the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Phiharmonia, Christchurch Symphony, Dunedin Symphony, National Symphony of Mexico, Kyushu Symphony (Japan), City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, OK Mozart Festival, Peninsula Music Festival (WI) and Masterworks Festival, Spartanburg, (SC).
A native of New Zealand, Maestro Sewell received his music training on the violin, piano and cornet, and began conducting at age 16. Six years later, he made his professional opera debut with the Mercury Opera and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Winning the Australian Guarantee Corporation’s Young Achiever’s Award allowed him to further his studies abroad. Sewell holds a Master of Music degree with Honors in Conducting from the University of Michigan.
His recent guest conducting engagements have included a seventh return guest appearance with the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong with guitarist Sharon Isbin for their 20th anniversary season, as well as the Florida Orchestra, Illinois Symphony and Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
In 2023 the WCO embarked on a five-year recording project, Musical Landscapes in Color, recording living Black composers and composers of color. Two albums, Harmony in Black, and Convergence, have been released in 2024 and 2025. The third album, Endeavor, will be released in July 2026.
In 2025, he was awarded the Distinguished Achievement Award by Destination Madison, for his 25 years service as Music Director of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. In 2017, he was awarded the Service to Music Award from the Association of Wisconsin Symphony Orchestras and in 2013, the Rabin Arts Youth Award for Individual Achievement, by the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra, for his services to youth and education. He and his wife, Mary live in Madison, WI.
Thank you to our Music Director sponsor, The Foulke Correa Foundation