Andreas Varady

Inspired by Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery and George Benson, eighteen-year-old Slovakian gypsy Andreas Varady (b. 24 July 1997) 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 traveled 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, Tommy Emmanuel and Martin Taylor, and has made numerous appearances on BBC and RTE television and radio. He is currently a Quincy Jones Artist.

On October 10, 2013, Andreas signed with the venerable Verve Records label with David Foster. His first album, Come Together, was released in 2014. (USA today feature)