Music Supervisor
John Rigby studied orchestral conducting at the University of Huddersfield and the Royal Northern College of Music. He holds an MMus in Musicology from King’s College London (where he is currently reading for his PhD) and was recently awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts from Edge Hill University in recognition of his work in musical theatre and conducting.
As a musical supervisor his recent credits include: The Phantom of The Opera (25th Anniversary UK and US Tours); Jesus Christ Superstar (World Arena Tour & DVD); Les Miserables (Korea); Miss Saigon (London, International cinema release & DVD); The Producers (UK Tour) and The King and I (UK Tour). As a musical director his West End credits include: Beautiful and Damned (Lyric); The Drowsy Chaperone (Novello); The King and I (Palladium); The Last Empress (Apollo, Hammersmith); Marguerite (Theatre Royal, Haymarket); Les Miserables (Palace and Queens); The Phantom of The Opera (Her Majesty’s); Peter Pan (Savoy); The Pirates of Penzance (Savoy); The Producers (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane) and Sinatra (Palladium). Additionally, he was musical director for the German productions of Miss Saigon (Stuttgart) and Starlight Express (Bochum). Most recently he conducted the London premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s An American In Paris at the Dominion Theatre and has just completed a run of Chess for English National Opera at the Coliseum, London.
In opera he has conducted Judith Weir’s The Black Spider for the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Carmen Jones at London’s Royal Festival Hall with the London Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestras, as well as Carousel for Opera North. Most recently he conducted the critically acclaimed production of Die Fledermaus for Opera Holland Park, London as well as Madama Butterly for Lyric Opera, Dublin.
The numerous orchestras he has worked with in concert include: the Berliner Symphoniker, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, CBSO, Dublin Concert Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra, Manchester Concert Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Scottish Concert Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, and the orchestras of both Welsh National Opera and Opera North. He has appeared as a conductor of BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night and is also conductor of the famous Classical Spectacular series of concerts for Raymond Gubbay. He recently conducted the sell out concert of the 2 Cellos at the London Palladium and the Royal Albert Hall.
He is currently the musical supervisor for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock US tour as well as the US tour of Cameron Mackintosh’s 25th Anniversary production of The Phantom of The Opera. He is about to conduct Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 70th birthday celebrations with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra in London.
Follow John on Twitter @johnrigbymusic.