ANDREW CRAIG

"The Beatles affected a really fundamental change in the way people saw themselves, more directly the way musicians wrote tunes. We are still hearing that influence 40 years later."

“Andrew Craig is a supreme musician for our modern age, fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, jazz and new age genres with proportion, taste and skill” - Carol Lipson, The Live Music Report

“You are a magnificent musician - thank God for you in the future!” - Quincy Jones

Andrew Craig is a Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer, director, composer, broadcaster and impresario, working in multiple musical genres, and collaborating with artists in other disciplines. He has worked with a diverse range of musical artists, including Molly Johnson, Jackie Richardson, Measha Bruggergosman, Ashley MacIsaac and Wynton Marsalis, award-winning playwrights Djanet Sears and Marion Caffey, and dance ensembles such as Dance Immersion.

Andrew Musical Directed Harbourfront’s tribute to Quincy Jones, and has twice performed for Nelson Mandela. He was nominated in the category of “Pianist/Keyboardist of the Year” in both the 2006 and 2007 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards.

Andrew also works as a host and producer with CBC. For 2 ½ years, Andrew hosted CBC Radio Two’s “In Performance”, the network’s flagship Classical concerts program. He is now the Toronto Region Host and Associate Producer for the successor to “In Performance”, called “Canada Live”.

In the area of television, Andrew hosted both the 2006 and 2007 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame galas, which aired on CBC Television and Radio, and which honoured Canadian greats Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Jean-Pierre Ferland and Gilles Vigneault, among others. In 2007, CBC Television aired Season One of “Triple Sensation”, a reality series that searches for Canada’s finest young actor who can sing and dance. “Triple Sensation” received critical and public acclaim, and Andrew served as the show’s inaugural host.

Andrew created, Musical Directed and co-produced “A Gospel Christmas Celebration” for CBC Radio and Television in December 2006. Both programs were re-broadcast the following year, and the television version received both a Gemini nomination, and a Bronze World Medal at the New York Festivals (one of the world’s most prestigious media competitions).

He also produced the CD version of the special, called “The Gospel Christmas Project”, for CBC Records.

Andrew recently made his orchestral conducting debut, performing “The Gospel Christmas Project - LIVE!” with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. The show minus orchestra had its premiere performance at Massey Hall in December 2007. Both performances had the press and audiences raving.

As an impresario, Andrew has twice presented a full-scale tribute to Earth, Wind and Fire. He also created and produced a highly-successful Valentine’s show in 2004 and 2008, called “Celebrate Love”.

Andrew Craig is the former Co-Chair of the Music Committee of the Toronto Arts Council, and is currently a member of the Advisory Council for the Faculty of Fine Arts at York University, and the Programming Committee of Toronto’s Young Centre for the Performing Arts.

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