| Biography | Michael has been a guest conductor with most of the leading orchestras in the UK in particular the Royal Philharmonic, and the BBC Concert orchestras. Also a frequent contributor for BBC Radio Two, Michael conducted many of the BBC Radio 2 complete musical recordings including Guys and Dolls, A Little Night Music and Jesus Christ Superstar. In 2008 Michael conducted the BBC Concert Orchestra and students from the BRIT School in a special concert on BBC Radio2 live from the Mermaid Theatre London.
Michael has worked extensively in television including arranging and conducting five Royal Variety Shows, the Eurovision Song Contest, three Royal Galas for the Prince's Trust and the Laureus World Sports Awards from Monte Carlo. For the Millennium, as part of BBC's live coverage from Greenwich, Michael conducted the London Symphony Orchestra along with Simply Red, The Eurythmics and Lesley Garrett. He was the original conductor for Raymond Gubbay's 'Classical Spectacular' concerts and was a founder conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Pops Orchestra.
Michael has worked extensively in the USA as musical supervisor of 'Aspects of Love', 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat', 'Whistle Down the Wind' and 'The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber' which toured all over the States and performed at Radio City with Michael Crawford
Michael has conducted many concerts with Russell Watson notably one with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as part of BBC Music Live in 2001 and in 2002 in Aukland, New Zealand in a live concert with the Aukland Philharmonic Orchestra which was recorded and released as Russell Watson 'Live' on DVD and video.
In 1999, Michael won the 'Best Composer of the Year' and the 'Warner Chappell' prizes at the Vivian Ellis Awards for his musical, Les Enfants du Paradis, written with Angela Richards. With book writer and lyricist, Warner Brown, Michael and Jim Steinman have written 'Garbo', which was premiered in 2003 in Stockholm.
He has written a musical oratorio with Fay Weldon called 'War in Heaven' which was commissioned by the Greek Government for the Athens festival in 2006. |