Roderick Elms

Roderick Elms studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Since leaving the RAM in the mid-seventies, he has broadcast regularly for BBC Radio 3 and Radio 2's Friday Night is Music Night. He has made many recordings with the BBC Concert Orchestra including music by Charles Williams (notably The Dream of Olwen) and film music for piano and orchestra by Spolianski. For more than twenty-five years he has enjoyed a close relationship with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and their recordings together include Warsaw Concerto (a Classic FM favourite), Rozsa's Spellbound Concerto, Bath's Cornish Rhapsody and da Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain. Other recordings include Frank Martin's Ballade for Piano and Orchestra with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Mozart with the London Symphony Orchestra.?For many years Roderick Elms was the London pianist for the legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich with whom he gave several prestigious recitals. He was also organist to the London Symphony Orchestra, with which he recorded an extensive list of titles for EMI and Chandos. This included all the major oratorios of Elgar and the award-winning recording of Britten's War Requiem conducted by Richard Hickox, on which he accompanied the choristers of St Paul's Cathedral directed by the late John Scott. As an organist he has also recorded The Gentle Art of Percy Whitlock, featuring music by Percy Whitlock played on the organs of Brentwood Cathedral and Rugby School Chapel. He has also contributed to many television and film soundtracks such as Poirot, Aliens, Dangerous Liaisons and the epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy. ??He is also a busy composer and his music, which is performed widely at home and abroad, features in two recordings with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ? A Little Fall-ish! (for Dutton-Epoch) includes his popular Concertino for Celeste, Cygncopations for cor anglais (performed by Victoria Walpole) and Four Seasonal Nocturnes (performed by Martin Owen). Also Festive Frolic (for Naxos) which contains a selection of Roderick Elms' festive choral and orchestral music. Moody Moves an album of his chamber music which includes his sextet for piano and winds (with the Aurora Ensemble), Two Anglo Fandangos for guitar and organ (performed by Victoria Green and Stuart Nicholson) and Twelve Astrological Preludes for piano (performed by the composer) ? was released in 2012 on the Herald label to great acclaim. He has also recorded his new Christmas piece Noel! (for organ and orchestra) with the Hallé, which was released in 2016.??Roderick Elms is married to the pianist Joanna Smith for whom he wrote Paper Dances? a concert piece for piano duet and orchestra which was recorded and broadcast by the BBC in September 2008. They live in Thundersley with their young son, Matthew.