Michael Reed

Musical Supervisor / Arranger / Composer 

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 recorded numerous cast albums including Noel Coward's Bitter Sweet, Ziegfeld and The Phantom of the Opera. He was the conductor and arranger for 'Michael Crawford performs Andrew Lloyd Webber' and Sarah Brightman's ‘Surrender' album. He also conducted Jose Carreras' Passion album and the very successful single 'Time to Say Goodbye' featuring Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli. At the end of 2005 he conducted the LSO in sessions for her album which was released in 2007.

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.

He has enjoyed a long association with the King's Head Theatre in Islington which still continues to this day. He orchestrated and arranged 'Mr Cinders', 'Wonderful Town', 'One Touch of Venus' and his own show 'Six for Gold' written with Warner Brown.

Michael has been composer for four Holiday on Ice productions which were directed by Anthony van Laast and choreographed by Robin Cousins. In 2007 he composed, orchestrated and conducted the score for a magic show starring Hans Klok which opened in Las Vegas .

In Germany Michael has been Musical Supervisor and Orchestrator for 'The Three Muksetiers' which opened at the Theater das Westens in Berlin in early April 2005 and also in 2007 for 'Ich war noch niemals in New York' which is currently playing at the Apollo Theater in Stuttgart and also at the Raimund Theater in Vienna. In 2010 Michael was Musical Supervisor and Arranger for 'Dallebach Kari' which premiered in Thun, Switzerland and is about to open in Zurich Theater 11 in March.

In 2008 he was Musical Director for Ian Fleming's Centenary Celebration Gala at the London Palladium. In 2009 Michael was musical director for the film of the Broadway Musical 'A Tale of Two Cities' for the PBS Channel in the United States.

This year he is currently working on another new musical production in Thun called 'Gotthelf” which opens in July.

Later in the year Michael is recording a concept album of a new musical called 'Rasputin' which has been written by Jonathan Ingram and for which he is Musical Arranger and co-orchestrator.