500 WORD BIOGRAPHY
Born in Ilford, Roderick Elms studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London which has awarded him an Associateship in recongnition of his contribution to the music profession. He appears in concerts, recordings and broadcasts with most of Britain's major orchestras, both as a principal keyboard player and as a soloist. He has broadcast regularly for the BBC for more than thirty years on Radio 3 as well as Radio 2's Friday Night is Music Night, and has made many solo recordings with the Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, London Symphony and BBC Concert Orchestras. He also works as a chamber player and has given many broadcasts in this capacity. For several years he was London pianist to the eminent cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. Foreign tours have taken him round most of Europe as well as to South Africa, the United States, Canada, Israel and the Far East. In September, he will tour Europe with the RPO and Charles Dutoit for performances of Stravinsky's Petroushka.
His solo recordings with the RPO include Hubert Bath's Cornish Rhapsody (with Barry Wordsworth), the Spellbound Concerto and Warsaw Concerto (with Jose Serebrier) and da Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain (with Nicholas Cleobury). Other solo recordings include Frank Martin's Ballade for Piano and Orchestra with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and music of Charles Williams (including The Dream of Olwen) with the BBC Concert Orchestra. In lighter vein, he has also made contributions to albums by Jose Carreras (Pure Passion) and Tony Henry (Modern Arias). As organist, he has recorded an extensive list for EMI and Chandos which includes all the major oratorios of Elgar and the award-winning recording of Britten's War Requiem with the London Symphony Orchestra and Richard Hickox.
Roderick Elms has contributed to many film soundtracks including Aliens, Dangerous Liaisons and the epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He caused something of a stir in a 2003 Prom of film music when, with friend and colleague Alistair Young, he appeared on live television for the solo piano duet part of Malcolm Arnold's The Belles of St Trinian's, dressed in schoolboy uniform - complete with cap and catapult!
Roderick Elms is also a busy composer and arranger and he is Composer in Association to the Elgar Chamber Orchestra. His published compositions and arrangements - which range in diversity from solo instrumental to symphonic music - are heard across the UK and North America performed by such ensembles as the Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, English Chamber, Halle and Toronto Symphony orchestras.
In 2006 Dutton-Epoch released an album of his instrumental music (A Little Fall-ish!) with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Stephen Bell and an album of his Christmas music (Festive Frolic) was released on the Naxos label last October performed by the RPO and the Joyful Company of Singers together with the tenor, Mark Wilde and the organist, Stuart Nicholson.
Roderick Elms is married to the pianist Joanna Smith, for whom he is currently writing a concert piece for piano duet and orchestra to be recorded and broadcast in September 2008.
240 WORD BIOGRAPHY
Roderick Elms was born in Ilford and studied at the Royal Academy of Music. He appears in concerts and recordings with most of Britain's major orchestras as both a principal keyboard player and soloist. He has broadcast regularly for the BBC for more than thirty years on Radio 3 as well as Radio 2's Friday Night is Music Night, and has made many solo recordings with the Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, London Symphony and BBC Concert Orchestras. For several years he was London pianist to the eminent cellist Mstislav Rostropovich.
As an organist, he has recorded an extensive list for EMI and Chandos including all the major oratorios of Elgar and the award-winning recording of Britten's War Requiem with the LSO. Film scores on which he has performed include Aliens, Dangerous Liaisons and the epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Roderick Elms is also a busy composer and arranger and his music is widely performed both in this country and North America. In 2006 Dutton-Epoch released an album of his instrumental music (A Little Fall-ish!) with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Stephen Bell and an album of his Christmas music (Festive Frolic) was released on the Naxos label last October performed by the RPO and the Joyful Company of Singers together with tenor, Mark Wilde and organist, Stuart Nicholson. He is currently writing a concert piece for piano duet and orchestra for recording and broadcast in September.