[1] Blau's father was a violinist with the Berlin Philharmonic, joining the orchestra in 1948, a year before Andreas was born.
[2] Blau auditioned for principal flute and joined the orchestra at the age of 20 after brief studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, the Salzburg Mozarteum, and in the United States, also receiving several international awards.
As a soloist, he performed under Herbert von Karajan, David Oistrach, Yehudi Menuhin, Claudio Abbado, and Sir Simon Rattle.
He also teaches master classes in many countries and has been invited to numerous international competitions as a jury member.
[5] Blau's father-in-law was Fritz Wesenigk (24 April 1923 – 7 March 2009), a trumpet player who was also in the Berlin Philharmonic.