Guardian classical critic Andrew Clements dies at 75

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, succeeding Edward Greenfield as the paper’s chief music critic. His appointment was clinched by a personal recommendation to the editor from the late Alfred Brendel, who argued for Clements to get the job on account of his deep understanding of contemporary music.

For the next 32 years Clements ranged across all fields of classical music in his writing for the Guardian, and often beyond. Described as an outstanding and distinctive critical voice, his deep knowledge and love of music was evident in everything he wrote. He was hugely respected by his fellow critics and the value of his five-star reviews was widely recognised.

While ill health prevented him reviewing live events since March 2025, his last CD review was published on 2 January. Clements’s musical interests were transformed while still at school as a young flautist when he encountered a work by Pierre Boulez, which opened the door to a lifelong engagement with contemporary music.

Before joining the Guardian he was music critic of the New Statesman, editor of Musical Times, and wrote for the Financial Times between 1979 and 1993; he began his career working for Faber music publishers and the Open University after a degree in theoretical physics from Cambridge University.

Key Topics

Culture, Andrew Clements, Alfred Brendel, Pierre Boulez, Radu Lupu, Harrison Birtwistle