Director, Conservatorium of Music
PhD, University of Tasmania; BMus, University of Tasmania
| Contact Campus | Hobart CBD Campuses |
| Building | Conservatorium of Music |
| Telephone | +61 3 6226 7314 |
| Fax | +61 3 6226 7333 |
| Andrew.Legg@utas.edu.au |
Assoc. Prof. Andrew Legg is a graduate of the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music. He trained as a classical pianist, composer and educator but is best known for his work in contemporary music, particularly gospel, soul and jazz. He is known as one of the leading gospel and blues pianists working in the US today and has undertaken postgraduate studies at the Tuskegee Institute and the Martin Luther King University examining African American history and the growth of African American gospel music.
On returning to Australia in January 2001, Andrew founded the Tasmanian Conservatorium Southern Gospel Choir, which has performed traditional and hip-hop gospel music throughout Tasmania and mainland Australia. The choir boasts 130 voices and contemporary gospel band with rhythm section and horns. They regularly attract audiences in excess of a 1000 people on the mainland and at home, and in March 2005 released their debut CD, Great Day. Great Day has sold over 5000 copies, and was nominated for an ARIA in 2006. In December 2009, the Southern Gospel Choir released their second major recording, High On A Mountain, to critical acclaim.
Legg has performed sell out concerts with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and with the SGC has toured with Broadway to Australia, and was one of four featured artists, along with Paul Grabovsky, Gabrielle Smart and John Cale in the Eight Hands: Variations on the Theme Piano concert, for the Mona Foma Festival in January 2008.
Legg completed his PhD in 2008 after working and performing with gospel legend, Dr Horace Clarence Boyer from Boston, one of the world authorities on African American gospel music. Legg has since toured with multi-Grammy winning African American gospel artist, Myron Butler, and was instrumental in bringing Butler to Tasmania for the Festival of Voices in 2009. Legg is currently writing an album with Badloves front man Michael Spiby and vocal legend Maria Lurighi as part of a significant IRGS project that examines the effects of African American music on original Australian music.