Like Mozart, Fauré, and countless others before him, Andrew Jonathan Welch is a musician whose freelance career combines performance, composition, leadership and education. Intensely committed to his belief that music can be a dynamic force for good in the lives of individuals and communities, Andrew’s voracious performance schedule makes him among the most active pianists and conductors in the Washington area. While recent performances have included appearances with the Washington Bach Consort, bass-baritone Kevin Short, sopranos Laura Choi Stuart and Carmen Balthrop, and members of the National Symphony Orchestra, you are also as likely to see him performing at your niece’s voice recital, or neighbor’s choir concert. An intensely curious musician, Andrew furthered his aim to bring engaging and challenging programming to the DC area by founding the Georgetown Epiphany Festival in 2018, which will produce a festival of three concert programs in early 2020 that explore the legacy of Beethoven. He is also the chief curator of Perfect Octave at the Hill Center, which combines seminars with performances to deepen an audience’s connection with music of the western canon. In addition to his curatorial outlets, Andrew is the Director of Music Ministry at Dumbarton United Methodist Church in Georgetown, and the Artistic Director of the Seriously Fun Singers, an itinerant chamber choir that rehearses in living rooms throughout Southern Montgomery County. He also kindles the flame of discovery that passes from his own teachers through maintenance of a piano studio, whose students of all ages and abilities constantly challenge him to a more thoughtful, thorough pedagogy. Andrew’s own formal education includes American University, the Aspen Music Festival and School, and, most recently, the University of Maryland, where he anticipates the completion of his doctoral work, centered on the pedagogy of Olivier Messiaen, in May of 2020. Inspiration comes from the countless experiences of beauty, both subtle and apparent, that surround us every day. Among the countless stewards with which Andrew has been privileged to traverse the frontier of music, he counts Yuliya Gorenman, Rita Sloan, Andrew Harley, and his friend, Richard Giarusso, among the most influential.