In 1967, he became a member of the Royal Symphony Orchestra (RSC) and quickly rose through the ranks to become the director of music. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, the Other Place, and the Swan were the three locations in Stratford-upon-Avon where he participated in a number of performances of all kinds. Since he was a genuine RSC man, he devoted his entire being to the organisation.
For a number of years, Michael was in charge of the music department, during which time he was responsible for player booking, assisting composers, planning concerts and events, and performing on shows. Additionally, he was responsible for the large assortment of equipment. Also, he was a prominent fast bowler and run-scorer for the RSC cricket team, which he led in the 1970s. He was a member of the team during that time.
Because of his extensive understanding of musical instruments, he was able to perform tasks such as re-heading a drum, programming a synthesiser, tuning a harpsichord, and cutting piano rolls by hand among other things. In the event that the instrument that was required for a production did not already exist, he would create it on his own. His main instrument was the accordion, but he was able to learn and play a wide variety of strange instruments, including the dulcimer, the hurdy-gurdy, and the theremin. He was an exceptionally versatile musician.
After leaving the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2007, Michael worked as the music director for the Bridge Theatre Company in Warwick, which was directed by Alison Sutcliffe. In addition to learning to read and speak Greek, he travelled extensively around Greece, which was a passion that we both shared. Michael was born in Harrow, which is located in north-west London.
His father, Roland, worked as an accountant for a fruit importer at Covent Garden market, and his mother, Marjorie (nee Rawson), was a music teacher. Michael attended Harrow school and continued his education after completing two years of national service as a lieutenant with the Middlesex Regiment, which was primarily stationed in Cyprus.
After completing his Bachelor of Music degree at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge, he went on to study conducting at the Guildhall School of Music in London. After that, he joined the Royal Society of Conductors.
