Conductor, pianist, composer, and arranger Paul Bateman attended the Guildhall School of Music in London, where he studied piano with Rosalie Helliwell and Paul Hamburger, organ with Joseph Vickers, voice with William Parsons, and cello with Anthony Pleeth. Bateman began his career as an accompanist and opera répétiteur, and he served for ten years at the Royal Academy of Music as the accompanist for the Advanced Conductors course. He coached many singers, such as Anthony Rolfe Johnson and Willard White, and he also performed as a chamber musician, forming the Kammerspiel Piano Trio with violinist Stephen Morris and cellist Robin Thompson-Clarke. He also appeared with major orchestras as a concerto soloist and gave solo piano recitals. As a music director, Bateman was deeply involved in musical theater, conducting Singin' in the Rain, Barnum, Charlie Girl, The Phantom of the Opera, and Carmen Jones in London's West End. He led the Norwegian Radio Orchestra for the Nobel Peace Prize concerts in Oslo, performing with such artists as Bryn Terfel, Barbara Hendricks, Paul McCartney, Sumi Jo, Jessye Norman, and Santana. Bateman conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's Film Music Gala concerts at the Royal Albert Hall for nine years. He has worked several times with Sarah Brightman, touring with her internationally and accompanying her in recordings with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He appeared as a guest conductor for Joseph Calleja's summer concerts in Malta, and he accompanied José Carreras in Japan. Bateman conducts film music concerts and records many film scores for Silva Screen Records. ~ Blair Sanderson