Benoit Andrez

Benoit Andrez was a Flemish-born engraver and music publisher active in Liège in the mid and late eighteenth century. He was born in that city around 1718 or 1719 and died there on 12 January 1804. His editions, which were rarely dated, are recognised by the printer's imprint placing them in Liège, behind the church of Saint Thomas.

His catalogue focused above all on instrumental music by composers active in the Belgian territory of the time, among them H. Renotte, J.-J. Robson, J.-N. Hamal and G.G. Kennis. He also published works by composers from elsewhere, such as P.C. von Camerloher, F. Schwindl and Boccherini, as well as a work by Beethoven, Op. 46. In the field of vocal music, he directed the periodical Echo ou Journal de musique françoise, italienne, which appeared between 1758 and 1773 and, from 1767, was retitled Journal vocal.

The business later passed to his daughter, Jeanne Andrez, who engraved some editions and kept it running until after 1809. Andrez also ventured into music theory and, together with the Liège musician Jean Joiris, obtained a licence in 1752 to publish a method of contredanses. His work as a music printer in eighteenth-century Liège makes him a significant figure in the dissemination of music publishing in his time.