Matthew Freeman

MATTHEW FREEMAN

Platinum and gold disc award winning conductor, arranger and pianist Matthew Freeman enjoys a diverse international career. In London, his association with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra began with the album ‘Symphonic Rock’ which has subsequently been performed annually at Royal Albert Hall. He has just conducted the third Symphonic Rock album and in 2014 has conducted performances with the RPO in Russia and the Baltic. In 2010 he conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the presence of HRH Prince Charles celebrating 25 years of the Prince’s ‘Business In The Community’ at Royal Albert Hall. In 2011 he conducted ‘Symphonic Queen’ at Royal Albert Hall and in Moscow. He will be conducting ‘Symphonic Queen’ again at Royal Albert Hall in November 2014. He is currently creating the music for a tour of the RPO and the Red Army Choir in October, 2014.

Matthew Freeman is a co-creator of the Olivier Award nominated musical ‘Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas’ which has played in the USA, Canada and across Europe. Since its West End debut at the Haymarket Theatre it has played four other West End theatres and the London Palladium. Matthew supervised the recording of the DVD and has conducted the ‘Rat Pack’ with the London Symphony Orchestra at Blenheim Palace and the Barbican Centre.

Conducting over 50 albums with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Danish Radio Orchestra, Sonderjyllands Symfoniorkester, Prague Symphony, Metropole Orchestra of Amsterdam and the NRK Oslo has led to the orchestration of music for, amongst others, Larry Adler, Shirley Bassey, Vic Damone, Ruthie Henshall, Howard Keel, Millicent Martin, David Soul, Lorna Luft (creating a duet with Judy Garland) and Roger Whittaker. He was invited to arrange and conduct Decca’s celebration of the Queen Mother’s 100^th Birthday. Matthew has been personal musical director for Shirley Bassey, Michael Crawford, Anthony Newley, Frankie Vaughan and for Mary O’Hara at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House and for her 16 part TV series with the City Of London Sinfonia. In 2012 he performed and recorded with the King’s Singers and the Sonderjyllands Symfoniorkester in Denmark.

Matthew Freeman’s first venture into the world of ABBA was to conduct and arrange IQ Magazine award winning ‘ABBA The Show’. It has played in 38 countries and at Wembley Arena on two occasions following in the footsteps of the original ABBA. He also arranged and conducted ‘ABBAphonic’ for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. ‘ABBAphonic’ the album was recorded in 2011 and the concert was then premiered at Royal Albert Hall and performed in Moscow and St Petersburg.

Matthew Freeman is musical supervisor and arranger for The Opera Show which premiered at Kilworth House Theatre in 2008. The Opera Show with its unique approach to presenting the great operatic arias went on to tour the USA, Scandinavia, Spain, Portugal and Italy to great critical acclaim. In 2013 he premiered a new show ‘Musicals Forever’ which he devised and arranged. It featured award winner actress Rachel Tucker from the London production of ‘Wicked’.

His experience in London’s West End is extensive having worked on ‘A Chorus Line’, ‘Les Miserable’, ‘Starlight Express’, ‘Miss Saigon’, ‘Oliver’, ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘Annie’, ‘Cats’, ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and many more.

Matthew Freeman conducted and arranged the music for the 2010 British Fashion Awards. He was musical supervisor for the 2004 Olivier Awards and has conducted Shirley Bassey at the Royal Variety Performance. For Sir Peter Hall’s production of ‘Amadeus’ at the London’s Old Vic he created and performed the forte piano music. Credits in the film world include vocal coaching Drew Barrymore, Elizabeth Shue and Keanu Reeves.