Andrew Clements, Guardian’s classical music critic, dies aged 75 | Classical music
Andrew Clements, The Guardian’s long-serving and much-admired classical music critic, died on Sunday, aged 75, after a period of illness.
Clements joined the Guardian arts team in August 1993, replacing Edward Greenfield as the newspaper’s chief music critic. His appointment was finalized by a personal recommendation to the editor from the late Alfred Brendel, who advocated for Clements to take the job because of his deep understanding of contemporary music. Over the next 32 years Clements wrote for the Guardian, covering all areas of classical music, and often beyond.
His extraordinary and distinctive critical voice, deep knowledge and love of music were evident in everything he wrote. He was highly respected by his fellow critics, and his hard-earned five-star reviews were invaluable. Although his health condition has prevented him from reviewing live events since March 2025, his last CD review was published on January 2.
Clements’s interest in music changed while still at school as a young flautist, when he encountered a work by Pierre Boulez, which opened the door to his lifelong involvement and encyclopedic knowledge of contemporary music. Decades later he could remember almost every concert he attended. In all areas of music, he was unafraid to ruffle feathers, happy to stick to his well-formed beliefs and refusing to follow more conservative or orthodox views.
Before joining the Guardian, Clements was music critic of the New Statesman and editor of Musical Times. He wrote for the Financial Times between 1979 and 1993. Following a degree in theoretical physics from the University of Cambridge, he began his career working for Faber music publishers and the Open University.
His support of composers such as Harrison Birtwistle, Hans Abrahamsen, Oliver Knussen and Mark-Anthony Turnage helped their work be taken seriously by other critics and music management. Solo piano music was also one of Clements’ great loves; In one of the last pieces he wrote, he said of the late Romanian musician Radu Lupu: “No pianist I have listened to in my more than 50 years of recitals has given me such consistent pleasure or a greater sense of wonder.”
Apart from music, birds, butterflies and orchids were an abiding passion; Woe to the opera designer who misunderstands a bird.
The tough exterior he sometimes presented reflected a gentle and warm nature. He was supportive and generous with his colleagues, quick to offer praise, patient with their questions, and impressive with his insights. Above all, it was always happy to laugh at oneself.
Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief of the Guardian, said: “Andrew Clements wrote about classical music with great passion and sensitivity. His reviews for the Guardian were based on a lifetime of insightful listening and, as well as being illuminating, were always a pleasure to read.”
