He graduated from the Gdansk Music Academy, majoring in piano instrumental performance in Professor Jerzy Skulimowski's class, solo singing in Professor Zofia Janukowicz-Pobłocka's class; also, he studied composition under Professor Konrad Pałubicki.

After graduating from his studies, Andrzej Nanowski began concert activity mainly in the field of chamber music. For many years he collaborated with Capella Gedanensis Early Music Ensemble as a harpsichord and organ player. He also made numerous recordings with the ensemble. He took part in many chamber music festivals, for example in France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Israel.

In the years 1981-1994 Andrzej Nanowski acted as a pianist in master courses within the Wratislavia Cantas Festival as well as in vocal courses in Duszniki Zdroj. He accompanied vocalists in solo recitals and radio recordings, for example Zofia Janukowicz-Pobłocka, Alicja Marczak-Faberowa, Hanno Blaszke, Dariusz Paradowski and Jadwiga Rappe.

Andrzej Nanowski is the winner of Polish Piano Performance Competition in Slupsk and holder of Fryderyk Chopin Warsaw Association Scholarship. He became the accompanist at Ada Sari Vocal Competition in Nowy Sącz. Based on the competition jury's decision he received a distinction for his accompaniment in 1983 and the jury's special award in 1993. In 2002 he was nominated for Pomeranian Artistic Award for composing in 2001 the Piaśnickie Requiem oratorio. Andrzej Nanowski received several awards and distinctions for his artistic activity, among others the Distinguished Cultural Service Award (2001), Polish Minister of Culture Diploma for Special Achievements in Culture Dissemination (2003), Bronze Medal of Merit (2003), Gdansk City President Award in Culture (2012).

Over the years he has collaborated with many distinguished solo singing teachers, for example Helena Łazarska, Christian Elsner, Jerzy Artysz, Halina Mickiewiczówna, Ingrid Kremling, Fedora Barbieri, Rolando Panerai, Renata Scotto and Claudio Desderi. They influenced Andrzej Nanowski's methods and vision of teaching singing.

He is a vocal teacher in the Stanislaw Moniuszko Music Academy in Gdansk and the Danuta Baduszkowa College of Vocalism and Acting at the Gdynia Music Theater. Andrzej Nanowski has organized numerous artistic events at the Gdansk Academy, directing and producing several opera and musical performances (among others La Serva Padrona G.B. Pergolesi, La Cambiale di Matrimonio, La Cenerentola G. Rossini, Wonderful Town L. Bernstein, Godspell S. Schwartz). He is the founder of the Musical Specialization in Gdansk Music Academy, which was set up in 2008.

In October 2012 he was appointed as the Dean of the Faculty of Vocalism and Acting as well as the Director of Musical Theater Unit of the Gdansk Music Academy. In February 2014 he received a degree of a Professor of Musical Arts.