Pelsall conductor lands top role in Meatloaf musical
As a small boy playing his piano along to Top of the Pops at his Pelsall home, Robert Emery dreamed of hitting the big time. Now a professional conductor and pianist, he has landed a role working on the Bat Out Of Hell musical – one of the UK's biggest current stage shows.
Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell is one of the best-selling records of all time. Now, 40 years after its release is has been converted into a high-impact stage show and Mr Emery has been chosen to conduct the music.
The 34-year-old was chosen by Grammy Award-winning record producer Jim Steinman – who was behind the original album back in 1977.
Mr Emery, who has worked extensively on musical projects across the world, including working alongside Russell 'The Voice' Watson, has been conducting the show at the Opera House in Manchester since January, before it heads to the London Coliseum.
The former St Michael's Primary School and Blue Coat Church of England secondary school pupil told the Express & Star: "I was chosen by Jim to conduct the music each night and its been a real privilege and honour. The show is phenomenal.
"The reviews that we've had and the crowds have been crazy. The set is the largest I've seen and the production is massive. I think the budget is about £17 million."
Mr Emery began playing piano at the age of seven, playing along to Top of the Pops. He began taking lessons and then joined the Birmingham Conservatoire Junior School of Music. At the age of 13, he made his London Debut at the Purcell Rooms, performed at Birmingham's Symphony Hall under Sir Simon Rattle and was the soloist in Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' with the Birmingham Conservatoire Orchestra.
He won the Regional Finals of the BBC Young Musician of the Year in two successive years and recorded his debut album 'Enlightening' at the age of 16. He later won a place at the Royal College of Music, London, and went on to conduct the Birmingham Philharmonic.
Bat Out of Hell finishes in Manchester on Saturday and will be at the London Coliseum for 56 nights from June 5.
