Andrew Crooks

Andrew Crooks is currently Visiting Assistant Professor (opera coach) at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Head of Music Staff at Cincinnati Opera and a visiting coach for The Aotearoa New Zealand Opera Studio (TANZOS).

From 2010-17 Andrew was based in Germany, where he was on the music staff of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Komische Oper Berlin. He was involved in the chorus preparation for over 80 different operas, operettas and musicals. A particular highlight was helping prepare Schoenberg’s Moses und Aron and the chorus of the Komische Oper subsequently being awarded the title of Chor des Jahres (chorus of the year) in the 2015 Opernwelt survey of opera critics. During these years he worked with eminent conductors such as Sir Donald Runnicles, Henrik Nánási, Alberto Zedda and Sir Simon Rattle, and directors such as Barrie Kosky, David Alden and Graham Vick. 

During the COVID pandemic Andrew returned to his native New Zealand, and spent 2020-21 working as Head of Music for New Zealand Opera. While with the company he conducted performances of Peter Maxwell Davies’ Eight Songs for a Mad King and prepared the chorus for their acclaimed production of Handel’s Semele. He was also responsible for the Dame Malvina Major Studio Artist Program.

Andrew has also worked for Wolf Trap Opera, Kiez Oper (Berlin) and the Washington National Opera (where he was a member of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program). 

Andrew’s teaching experience includes three years as Assistant Professor of Music and Musical Director of Opera at Lawrence University (Wisconsin). He helped prepare Rossini’s Le Comte Ory, Bernstein’s Mass and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, and prepared and conducted Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. All of these productions received awards from either the National Opera Association or The American Prize.
 
Andrew holds graduate degrees from Indiana University (MM choral conducting) and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (AD opera coaching), and bachelor degrees in music and German from the University of Otago (New Zealand).