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Edward Rugman, Composer in Residence

 

Ed was appointed as Blackpool Symphony Orchestra’s first Composer in Residence with the premiere of his ‘Space Armada Suite’ in September 2013.  The Orchestra were delighted to premiere Ed’s second commission for Blackpool Symphony Orchestra,  ‘Cityscapes – Three Cultural Scene for Orchestra’ in September 2017.  Both commissions thrilled players and audiences alike. Ed's also wrote the beautiful arrangement for our Over the Rainbow virtual performance.

 

Ed studied music, specialising in Organ, Piano and Conducting, at the RNCM gaining a Masters degree and was awarded organ scholarships at Manchester and Blackburn Cathedrals.  He pursued a career in Cathedral Music and worked alongside some of the world's finest professional choirs, including the BBC Singers.

 

Alongside his classical upbringing he always had an avid interest in live musical theatre and Jazz. In September 2017, Ed became the Musical Director for Collabro - the world’s top selling musical theatre vocal group and has performed with them at over 200 venues including performances at the Royal Albert Hall.  

Ed has also worked as the Musical Director for Russell Watson.  Ed performed, arranged and orchestrated all the music for tours travelling the length and breadth of the UK with three record-breaking tours performing to over 250,000 people as well as BBC Proms 2016 and select shows in Italy.

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During his time with Russell, the pair were asked by NASA to record a new acoustic version of Faith of the Heart (Star Trek Enterprise theme). This recording was then transmitted to the New Horizons Pluto Probe as its wake-up call and forms part of the probe’s continuous radio/audio transmission out into deep space. This makes Edward officially the first pianist to be heard out of our solar system!

 

Ed has written extensively for concerts, stage and screen and has arranged for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, written orchestrations for songs on an album for Chelsea Pensioners ‘Scarlets Appeal’ and music score preparation for recent ‘Madness’ concerts with full orchestra.

 

With the Ten Forward Music Productions, formed with his colleagues Claire Shipway and Chris Carter, he has co-created orchestrations, band scores and tracks for Collabro’s two most recent tours, as well as recording and producing the fourth commercial studio album, ‘Road to the Royal Albert Hall’, which made it into the top 20 album charts.  More recent projects include work with Marisha Wallace the well-known Broadway and West End star.

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