Robert Emery (pianist)

Last updated

Robert Emery
Born (1983-03-22) 22 March 1983 (age 41)
Origin Pelsall, England
Occupation(s) conductor, Pianist, orchestrator
Years active1997–present
Website robertemery.com

Robert Emery (born 22 March 1983) is an English pianist, conductor, music producer and orchestrator. He was born in Pelsall in the West Midlands (UK), began playing the piano as a child, and became known after performing with major artists, including Russell Watson, Meat Loaf, and Stewart Copeland, whilst conducting bare-footed. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life

Robert Emery (born 22 March 1983) is an English pianist, conductor and orchestrator. He started playing the piano at the age of seven. [3] Soon he studied with renowned piano professor Heather Slade-Lipkin and won the RBC Concerto competition at age 11 and won the Regional BBC Young Musician competition twice over, as well as reaching the last and best ten pianists in the BBC Young Musician competition. Robert then studied piano at the Royal College of Music with Ruth Nye a pupil of the famed Claudio Arrau and conducting with Neil Thomson, a pupil of the renowned Leonard Bernstein. Since making his London debut when he was thirteen, he has performed internationally as a recitalist and conductor.

Career

2000-2010: Early career and discovery

Robert Emery first promoted himself as a young pianist, touring the UK twice aged 18 and 19. He was a guest soloist at the Red Cross Gala Ball at the Guildhall, London. [4] He was also the conductor for a nationwide tour of Milkshake! Live with the British Philharmonic Orchestra. [5]

2010-2020: Musical Theatre, Concerts, and Composing

He has been the Associate Musical Supervisor for the world premieres of Dallebach Kari das Musical, Gotthelf das Musical, Der Besuch der Alten Dame das Musical; all in Switzerland. He was also the conductor, director and orchestrator of the Lovebugs/Basel Symphony concerts and the director and orchestrator of the Seven/21st Century Orchestra concerts, both of which were co-produced by one of Emery's businesses, Arts Festivals Ltd. He is also known for conducting and playing bare-foot. [6]

In 2013, he worked with the writers of Les Miserables (Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil) to produce Watson's album, Only One Man. [7]

2014 saw Emery work in Los Angeles for the year, including producing the music and performing at the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) Awards. One of the tracks performed, written by the multi-platinum writer Donnie Demers and performed by Carly Paoli, was a requiem to Anya Niedringhaus. [8] Emery also worked with Paula Abdul for the event.

In 2015, Emery went on tour with Britain's Got Talent star, Jonathan Antoine, performing in venues across the UK. [9] Later that year, he conducted the Military Wives Choir at the National Television Awards broadcast live on ITV from London’s o2 arena. [10] Three days later, he conducted at the Llangollen Eisteddfod with the National Symphony Orchestra. [11] Emery was also invited to conduct Taiwanese Singer Ji Xiaojun at the Taipei Arena. [12]

In 2017, he performed with Meat Loaf in Toronto, Canada, in front of 25,000 people. [13] In the same year, his first musical as a composer was premiered at a purpose-built theatre on the Rheinfall in Switzerland. With a budget of two million francs, Anna Göldi das Musical. [14] He also produced Joanna Forest's first album, 'Stars Are Rising'. The album shot straight to number one in the Classical Charts. [15]

Together with composer Moritz Schneider, he also composed, produced and conducted the next album from the Swiss singer, SEVEN. The album 4Colors was released on 7 July 2017. [16]

In 2017 Emery worked on the Bat out of Hell musical. He was made Musical Director and Associate Musical Supervisor of the show, which premiered at the London Coliseum in the summer, following previews at Manchester Opera House earlier in the year. [17] He also took the show to Toronto, Canada to perform at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. [18]

In 2018, Emery was Musical Director and Associate Musical Supervisor for the West End production of Bat Out Of Hell The Musical. [19]

Emery went into the studio with the Arts Symphonic Orchestra and Arts Voices to record the second album for classical crossover artist Joanna Forest. 'The Rhythm of Life' was recorded at Angel Studios and featured vocals by Forest, Paul Potts [20] and Andy Day.

In 2019 and 2021, he conducted a nationwide tour of NOW That's What I Call Christmas featuring Kerry Ellis and John Owen-Jones. [21]

2020–present

In 2020, Emery orchestrated and conducted the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra for a 4D experience film called Rubia. [22] Emery did not perform for the rest of 2020 due to Covid.

In 2021, he conducted a nationwide tour in the UK of The Best of John Williams with the London Concert Orchestra and the Manchester Concert Orchestra. [23] Also in 2021, he produced and presented an online TV series called Classical Connections with Robert Emery. [24] In these episodes, Emery tackles one composer at a time, finds interesting stories from their personal lives, and performs their music (whilst sometimes dressed as the composer). [25] The composers featured include Grieg, Mozart, Gershwin, Beethoven, Rossini, Satie, Berlioz, Bruckner, Strauss, Verdi, Saint-Saens, Brahms and Liszt.

In 2022, he conducted a tour of the music of Zimmer vs Williams with the London Concert Orchestra, which ended at the Barbican London on New Year's Eve. [26] Emery conducted the UK Tour of Bat Out Of Hell again, and when his friend and colleague Meat Loaf died, he did a round of international TV and Radio interviews celebrating his life. [27] He finished off the year conducting the Classical Spectacular in Birmingham Symphony Hall with the London Concert Orchestra and guest soloists Ilona Domnich and Luis Gomes, with the City of Birmingham Choir. [28]

He also produced and presented his second online TV series called Music Trivia with Robert Emery. [29] In the series, he discovers stories about the world of music, including where the Birthday Song came from, what a conductor does, the most expensive music manuscript, who the first ever conductor was, who invented the piano, and an episode about musical toilets. [30]

Finally, in 2022, he produced, orchestrated and conducted the Jubilee Anthem to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. This featured vocals by Lesley Garrett, Rodney Earl Clarke and the London Community Gospel Choir. [31]

In 2023 he was named as Music Director for the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Great Britain. [32] He is also conducting another tour of The Music of Zimmer vs Williams [33] and a tour of Symphonic Universe - The Music of The Avengers and Beyond with The London Concert Orchestra [34]

Emery has also been in Abbey Road Studios this year recording the largest music production for meditations ever made, with over 128 musicians and singers. [35] This music is used in his new project, Orchestral Meditations.

Charitable Work

Emery created a philanthropic music education website, Ted's List, during the pandemic lockdown of 2020. [36]

He also set up a registered charity called The Emery Foundation, [37] with its first project being 'Get Musicians Working' [38] - a scheme to raise funds for professional musicians who were financially struggling due to their situation in the covid pandemic. [39]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orchestra</span> Large instrumental ensemble

An orchestra is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Film score</span> Music written to accompany a film

A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to enhance the dramatic narrative and the emotional impact of the scene in question. Scores are written by one or more composers under the guidance of or in collaboration with the film's director or producer and are then most often performed by an ensemble of musicians – usually including an orchestra or band, instrumental soloists, and choir or vocalists – known as playback singers – and recorded by a sound engineer. The term is less frequently applied to music written for media such as live theatre, television and radio programs, and video games, and said music is typically referred to as either the soundtrack or incidental music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Haitink</span> Dutch conductor (1929–2021)

Sir Bernard Johan Herman Haitink was a Dutch conductor and violinist. He was the principal conductor of several international orchestras, beginning with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 1961. He moved to London, as principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra from 1967 to 1979, music director at Glyndebourne Opera from 1978 to 1988 and of the Royal Opera House from 1987 to 2002, when he became principal conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden. Finally, he was principal conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 2006 to 2010. The focus of his prolific recording was classical symphonies and orchestral works, but he also conducted operas. He conducted 90 concerts at The Proms in London, the last on 3 September 2019 with the Vienna Philharmonic. His awards include Grammy Awards and the 2015 Gramophone Award for his lifetime achievements.

<i>Bat Out of Hell</i> 1977 studio album by Meat Loaf

Bat Out of Hell is the 1977 debut album by American rock singer Meat Loaf and composer Jim Steinman. The album was developed from a musical, Neverland, a futuristic rock version of Peter Pan, which Steinman wrote for a workshop in 1974. It was recorded during 1975–1976 at various studios, including Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York, produced by Todd Rundgren, and released in October 1977 by Cleveland International/Epic Records. Bat Out of Hell spawned two Meat Loaf sequel albums: Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993) and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose (2006).

The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra is a Norwegian orchestra based in Bergen. Its principal concert venue is the Grieg Hall.

Steve Sidwell is an English arranger, composer, and trumpeter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kasim Sulton</span> American musician

Kasim Sulton is an American bass guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist. Best known for his work with Utopia, Sulton sang lead on 1980's "Set Me Free," Utopia's only top 40 hit in the United States. As a solo artist, Sulton hit the Canadian top 40 in 1982 with "Don't Break My Heart".

<i>Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose</i> 2006 studio album by Meat Loaf

Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose is the ninth studio album by Meat Loaf, and the third and final album in the Bat Out of Hell trilogy. It was released in Ireland on October 20, 2006, 29 years after Bat Out of Hell (1977), and 13 years after Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993). It was released in the UK on October 23, 2006, and in the US on October 31, 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinfonia of London</span>

Sinfonia of London is a symphony orchestra based in London, England, conducted by John Wilson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crouch End Festival Chorus</span> Musical artist

Crouch End Festival Chorus (CEFC) is a symphonic choir based in north London which performs in a range of musical styles, including traditional choral repertoire, contemporary classical, rock, pop and film music.

Gavin Sutherland is a conductor, composer/arranger, pianist and musicologist. He is currently Principal Guest Conductor for English National Ballet.

John Wilson is a British conductor, arranger and musicologist, who conducts orchestras and operas, as well as big band jazz. He is the artistic director of Sinfonia of London.

Martin Yates is a British conductor. After attending Kimbolton School, he studied at the Royal College of Music and Trinity College of Music, London, where his teachers included Bernard Keeffe (conducting), Richard Arnell (composition), Ian Lake, Jakob Kaletsky and Alan Rowlands (piano), and Douglas Moore and John Burden.

Bath Bach Choir, formerly The City of Bath Bach Choir (CBBC), is based in Bath, Somerset, England, and is a registered charity. Founded in 1946 by Cuthbert Bates, who also became a founding father of the Bath Bach Festival in 1950, the choir's original aim was to promote the music of Johann Sebastian Bach via periodic music festivals. Bates – an amateur musician with a great love and understanding of this composer's works – was also the CBBC's principal conductor and continued in this role until his sudden death, in April 1980. This untimely exit pre-empted his planned retirement concert performance of J. S. Bach's Mass in B minor, scheduled for July of the same year, and effectively ended the first period of the choir's history.

Julian Seymour Clifford was an English conductor, composer and pianist particularly associated with the orchestras at Harrogate and Hastings, which he carried to a high level of accomplishment, introducing new works by English composers and encouraging soloists of national standing to perform in the provinces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Mandell (conductor)</span> American music conductor (1929-2020)

Robert Mandell was an American-born British-based conductor. He conducted family and children's concerts, and stage musicals.

Guy Protheroe is a British conductor, musical director, composer and musicologist/forensic musicologist. He has been conductor and musical director of the contemporary music ensemble Spectrum and the English Chamber Choir throughout his career. He has known for his collaboration with artists, in particular Rick Wakeman, Vangelis and Eric Lévi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black conductors</span>

Black conductors are musicians of African, Caribbean, African-American ancestry and other members of the African diaspora who are musical ensemble leaders who direct classical music performances, such as an orchestral or choral concerts, or jazz ensemble big band concerts by way of visible gestures with the hands, arms, face and head. Conductors of African descent are rare, as the vast majority are male and Caucasian.

Charles Cozens is involved in the music industry in Canada as an arranger for solo artists; a composer writing in multiple genres for diverse organizations including chamber ensembles, musical theatre, and television; a conductor and producer of crossover orchestral shows; a performer on piano and accordion in jazz, classical, and pop styles; and as a recording artist and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Ellis (composer)</span> Australian composer, conductor (born 1964)

George Ellis is an Australian conductor, composer and orchestrator. He presents concerts for international events with a broad range of styles from classical to pop/rock and jazz as well as presenting orchestral concerts for young audiences. He also lectures in conducting at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and is a regular presenter of Sonic Journey for ABC Radio Sydney’s program with Simon Marnie.

References

  1. "Pelsall conductor lands top role in Meatloaf musical". Express & Star. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  2. "Russell Watson: The New Theatre=30 March 2011". Oxford Mail.
  3. "Natura, Nurture, And Your Duvet Of Music=10 September 2020". Musical-U.
  4. "Red Cross Gala Ball Robert Emery=2 November 2011". YouTube.com.
  5. "Milkshake Live=10 December 2008". BBC.
  6. "Die Lovebugs und das Sinfonieorchester Basel". Basler Zeitung. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  7. "Russell Watsons new voice with the team behind Les Miserables". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  8. ""Because Of You" – A requiem to Anya Niedringhaus, LA Oct 2014". youtube.com.
  9. "Britain's Got Talent star Jonathan Antoine coming to The Atkinson=7 October 2015". Southport Visiter.
  10. "Robert Emery & the Military Wives Choir: National Television Awards=18 November 2015". YouTube.com.
  11. "Llangollen Eisteddfod=21 November 2015". YouTube.com.
  12. "The Prayer with Ji Xiaojun at Taipei Arena=21 November 2015". YouTube.com.
  13. "Meat Loaf Joins Cast of 'Bat Out of Hell – The Musical' at Toronto Event=16 May 2017". Billboard.com.
  14. "Anna Göldi=7 September 2021". unitedmusicals.de.
  15. "Anna Göldi=22 March 2017". guardian-series.co.uk.
  16. "Seven – 4 Colors=7 July 2017". moritz-schneider.ch.
  17. "JIM STEINMAN'S BAT OUT OF HELL – THE MUSICAL EXPLODES ON STAGE AT THE LONDON COLISEUM=3 November 2016". theatreticketsdirect.co.uk.
  18. "Bat Out of Hell – The Musical=4 November 2016". Bell Media.
  19. "Bat Out Of Hell Review=20 April 2018". British Theatre.
  20. "Paul Potts, Joanna Forest & Robert Emery=9 March 2019". YouTube.com.
  21. "TNOW That's What I Call Christmas!=10 December 2021". Southbank centre.
  22. "Rubia the Ride opened=15 January 2020". moritz-schneider.ch.
  23. "The Best of John Williams=3 October 2021". Bridgewater Hall.
  24. "Classical Connections=24 April 2021". robertemery.com.
  25. "Classical Connections=22 April 2021". music-news.
  26. "The Music of Zimmer vs Williams=31 December 2022". Barbican.
  27. "He was a gentle giant - the perfect gentleman". BBC.
  28. "Classical Spectacular=29 October 2022". COBC.
  29. "Music Trivia with Robert Emery=10 November 2022". robertemery.com.
  30. "Classical Cambridge: Sarah MacDonald=11 November 2022". cambridge105.co.uk.
  31. "Olga Thomas releases EIIR, The Platinum Record, A Jubilee Anthem=18 April 2022". classicalcrossovermagazine.us.
  32. "Music Director Announced=1 October 2022". National Philharmonic.
  33. "The Music of Zimmer vs Williams=9 December 2023". Sheffield City Hall.
  34. "Symphonic Universe - The Music of The Avengers and Beyond=29 October 2023". Sheffield City Hall.
  35. "Back at Abbey Road Studios London=14 February 2023". moritz-schneider.ch.
  36. "Famous Conductor and Music Producer launches a new website to help inspire young musicians". music-news.com. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  37. "Sky News". youtube.com. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  38. "ROBERT EMERY: GET MUSICIANS WORKING". headlinermagazine.net. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  39. "Cambridgeshire musician's plan to help struggling musicians". Cambridge Independent. Retrieved 11 December 2020.