Andreas Varady

Inspired by Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery and George Benson, thirteen-year-old Slovakian gypsy Andreas Varady has been playing the guitar since he was four years old...

Taught by his father, Bandi, he gained his first experiences as a musician from busking on the streets of Limerick and Cork, Ireland. He also attended jazz workshops in Limerick and Sligo, and later travelled to New York to study at Skidmore Jazz Institute, under scholarship from the combined Art Councils of Ireland. In 2009, at the age of twelve, Andreas reached a national audience on RTE's 'The Guitar' competition. Around the same time he wrote to Irish drumming star David Lyttle, introducing himself as a twelve-year-old jazz guitarist. Lyttle quickly began featuring him in his group, often alongside international players such as Andreas Oberg, Torsten Goods, Soweto Kinch, Terell Stafford and Michael Janisch. Andreas has also guested with guitar icons Louis Stewart and Tommy Emmanuel, toured duo with Martin Taylor, and made numerous appearances on BBC and RTE television and radio.

On Andreas' debut album, 'Questions', he co-leads with David Lyttle, and also features US bass star Michael Janisch and Bandi on rhythm guitar. Released on LYTE Records, and launched at the Cork Jazz Festival in October 2010, the CD includes two of Andreas' originals, a solo version of 'The Shadow of Your Smile' and Django Reinhardt's 'Festival 48'. Celebrating the release of 'Questions' and an exciting upcoming year of festival appearances in Ireland, the UK, France, Germany and the South Pacific, Andreas and his band recently appeared on RTE television's 'The Late Late Show', playing his composition 'A Day in New York'. On March 21st, he became the youngest musician to headline at London's legendary Ronnie Scott's, receiving two standing ovations and four-star reviews from The Times and Evening Standard. 'Questions' was selected by Guitarist Magazine as an album of the week, and Andreas' first cover feature, for Guitar Player Magazine, was distributed worldwide in April.