Sir Andrew Davis content to concentrate on guest conducting these days

With multiple posts to his credit, including nearly two-decade-long tenures as chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and music director of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Sir Andrew Davis has long been one of the world’s most prominent conductors.

The British native endeared himself to area audiences as music director of Lyric Opera of Chicago from 2000 through 2021, leading more than 60 different operas by composers ranging from Verdi and Mozart to Berg and Britten. He’s now music director emeritus.

So anticipation will likely be running high when Davis steps back into the local spotlight Dec. 21-23 to guest conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in his own orchestration of George Frideric Handel’s celebrated oratorio, Messiah.

Joining him will be four of the world’s top vocal soloists, including some with whom he has worked multiple times: soprano Joélle Harvey, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano, tenor Matthew Polenzani and bass John Relyea.

Since Davis stepped down from his Lyric Opera post, he has devoted himself exclusively to guest conducting, and he couldn’t be happier. “I have no administrative responsibilities, and I’m enjoying that part of it,” he said. At the same time, at age 79, he has cut back considerably the number of concerts he is doing each season. “I generally have more time between engagements now, which suits me very well. I’m getting up there,” he said, referring to his age.

That said, he still has plenty of dates on his 2023-24 calendar, including performances with orchestras such as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (where he was principal conductor in 1975-88), BBC Philharmonic, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Malmö (Sweden) Symphony Orchestra and Orchestre National de Lyon (France).

Perhaps most surprising, given his devotion to the form previously, is the absence of any operas on his upcoming schedule. Such productions take multiple weeks for the rehearsals and performances, and he is less willing now to devote that kind of time to them. “I’m not saying I’m never going to do any more opera,” he said. “But for the moment, I have nothing planned, and that suits me OK.”

Davis lived in Chicago while he was Lyric’s music director, and he continues to make his residence in the Windy City. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said. But he has switched neighborhoods, moving in June from a downtown apartment to a house in the Old Irving Park neighborhood. “It’s a 10-minute walk from my son’s house,” he said. “I love it.”