Paul Bateman studied piano, organ, singing and cello at the Guildhall School of Music in London and began his musical life as an accompanist, chamber musician and opera répétiteur.
He has since conducted recordings with the Royal Philharmonic, Philharmonia, London Symphony, Munich Symphony, Vienna Symphony, City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestras and has given concerts with the BBC Concert, Malmo Symphony, Seville Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National, Dallas Symphony, Russian National, Tokyo Philharmonic and Ulster Orchestras.
Paul conducted and orchestrated Lesley Garrett’s albums A Soprano in Hollywood and A North Country Lass and his orchestrations also appear on many of her television programmes. He conducts film music concerts all over the world and has recorded many film music albums for Silva Screen Records in Prague. He has conducted over thirty albums of film music including two volumes of Hitchcock film scores, albums of the music of Bernard Herrmann, Maurice Jarre, John Williams and Ennio Morricone, and collections of Korngold, Steiner and Tiomkin.
His total discography now includes over seventy recordings, many of which feature daily on Classic FM.
Paul conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra for the album Idylls and Elegies – the music of John Jeffreys and a new recording of John Jeffreys’ Violin Concerto , yet to be released.
Paul first appeared at Sir Bryn Terfel’s Faenol Festival in 2000 and was invited to return in 2002.
He conducted the Norwegian Radio Orchestra for the Nobel Peace Prize concerts in Oslo from 2000 to 2002, accompanying a dazzling array of international artists including Sir Bryn Terfel, Barbara Hendricks, Jessye Norman, Santana and Sir Paul McCartney.
Paul Bateman’s association with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra goes back several years, having conducted their ‘Filmharmonic’ and ‘Film Music Gala’ concerts at the Royal Albert Hall for ten consecutive years, many concerts in the UK and a tour of Korea. He also made two recordings of Filmharmonic with them and for Sony Classics, recordings with violinists Eijin Nomura and Vanessa-Mae. For Sarah Brightman he has conducted recordings of his own arrangements with the LSO and RPO and gives concerts with her all over the world.
In 2009, 2010 and 2014 Paul conducted summer concerts in Malta for tenor Joseph Calleja with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, the most recent with Sir Bryn Terfel as his guest.
2013 saw the beginning of a fruitful relationship with Deutsche Grammophon when he worked as an arranger on albums for Piotr Beczala and Daniel Hope, who also commissioned Paul to write a suite for violin and orchestra based on the songs of Kurt Weill and a suite of Gershwin songs.
In November 2013 he conducted for José Carreras in Japan. Recent albums with the RPO and LSO include the music of Oliver Davis (Flight, Dance and Liberty ), and a new recording for Sarah Brightman. With the City of Prague Philharmonic he has also conducted the début albums for sopranos Joanne McGahon and Margaret Keys. Most recently he conducted the Czech Philharmonic and Royal Philharmonic orchestras for Sir Bryn Terfel’s new album ‘Dreams and Songs’, which also features his new arrangements.
Photo Credit: Paul Bateman – ©Graham Salter