email: [email protected] website: www.robeckland.com telephone: 07969299786 ROB ECKLAND Pianist / Arranger / Conductor / MD / Composer
Training:
Royal College of Music 2006-2010 (BMus Hons) Commercial Piano and Drums/Percussion, studying with Mike Moran / Ralph Salmins / Alex Neal
Media:
> The X Factor (Arranger, 6 Chair Challenge and Piano Routining) > The Brit Awards > Celebrity X Factor (Piano Routining) > Britain’s Got Talent (Arranger, Live Pianist and Routining) > The NME Awards > All Together Now (Piano Routining) > America’s Got Talent: The Champions (Arranger) > BBC Maestro > Ant & Dec Saturday Night Takeaway (Stephen Mulhern) > Celebrity All Together Now (Piano Routining) > Noel’s HQ > Bryn Terfel Scholarship (Arranger and House Band) > America’s Got Talent (Piano Routining) > London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony > Magic at the Musicals (Magic FM - Royal Albert Hall)
Selected Credits - (either as Performer (Live and/or Studio) Arranger/MD/AMD)
> Gary Barlow > Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber > Ladysmith Black Mambazo > Beverley Knight > Joss Stone > Paloma Faith > Daniel Beddingfield > Dizzee Rascall > Gabrielle > Rick Wakeman > Amber Riley > Katherine Jenkins > Florence & The Machine > Alexandra Burke > Jools Holland > Jason Donovan > David Essex > Louis Tomlinson > Dame Evelyn Glennie > Emma Bunton > Anggun > Simon Webbe > Tom Grennan > The Maccabees > Royal Philharmonic Orchestra > English Chamber Orchestra > London Symphony Orchestra > BBC Big Band > Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra > London Metropolitan Orchestra > Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra > The Overtones > Tony Hadley > Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings > Gareth Malone > Goldie > Connie Fisher > Amanda Holden > Jimmy Nail > Antony Costa > Bradley Walsh > Kerry Ellis > Ellie Ingram > Underworld > Louise Redknapp > Michelle Gayle > Alex James > Martin Kemp > Assala Nasri > Ruby Turner > Kwabs > Alice Chater > Ben Forster > Natalie Weiss > Ramin Karimloo > Andrew Lippa
Theatre/Tours
> Dreamgirls (West End) - Associate MD > Strictly Come Dancing: The Professionals 2019 - Track Production > Motown: The Musical (West End) - Associate MD > Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (West End) - Associate MD > The War Of The Worlds (Arena Tour & West-End) > INALA (Sadlers Wells) - Associate MD (Ladysmith Black Mambazo) > Stephen Ward (West End, Keys I)) + Original Cast Album > Dancing In The Streets (UK Tour) - MD, Additional Arrangements (also USA Tour) > Beautiful (West End, deputy) > Soul Sister (UK Tour) - MD > The Bodyguard (West End/UK Tour, deputy) > Bat Out Of Hell (West End, deputy)) > Thriller Live (West End, deputy) > 9 to 5 (West End, deputy) > Brendan Cole’s Showman Tour 2019 (Keys II) > Rip It Up (UK Tour, deputy) > Sandstorm (Dave Arch) > I Bought A Blue Car Today (West End) (Alan Cumming) > Mister Maker & The Shapes (UK/Asia Tour) - Arranger > What’s New Pussycat (Workshop) - Assistant Arranger and Keyboards > Annie (UK Tour, deputy) > Grease (Ljubljana Festival) - Orchestrator
Other
> Played, Conducted and Arranged at many of the top London studios - including Abbey Road, Angel, Air, RAK and British Grove Studios. > Regularly engaged as an Audition/Routining Pianist. Excellent sight-reading and excellent ‘ears’. > Regularly assists other London Arrangers/Orchestrators - recent engagements include assisting on projects featuring George Benson, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabrielle, Tony Hadley, The Heritage Orchestra and The Metropole Orkest > Regularly engaged by TEDGroup as an Arranger, arranging over 25 of their Production Shows for TUI Sensatori. Recently completed a commission to arrange 10 of their new shows for Marella Cruises.. Rob also often fixes their Recording Sessions. > Rob has his own home studio - Brookland Studios where he houses his Yamaha C5 Grand Piano, alongside many keyboards and high-end microphones, where he also uses leading sound/sample libraries. He also has the space to record live musicians.
Please see overleaf for REFEREES email: [email protected] website: www.robeckland.com telephone: 07969299786
Referees
Ralph Salmins (Leading Session Musician) Matthew Brind (MD/Supervisor/Arranger) “Rob is a consummate all-round Musician who is equally at home on “Rob has worked for me on a number of projects for TV and stage, keyboards in a rhythm section, arranging or as Musical Director. including Britain’s Got Talent, and X Factor for ITV. His arrangements He is unquestionably one of the brightest talents on the London scene.” are exemplary in any style that I throw at him, whilst more often than not having to meet very imminent deadlines. Further to this, he is also a Adam Goldsmith (Leading Session Musician) fantastic Piano player, with superb feel and groove.” “I’ve worked with Rob for a number of years, both as a player and under his Musical Direction. As a Pianist, he has great time and feel. As an Keith Strachan (Supervisor/Composer) Arranger, his charts are absolutely brilliant; his take-downs are immaculate, “He has an innate musical ability that goes beyond training. His playing but he also knows when to allow the musician the ‘freedom to play’. Added to is exceptional and he has superb feel for the music. Added to this, he has a this, he’s a good bloke, who makes sure that there is a strong balance very easy going nature and natural leadership qualities. These combine to between hard work and keeping morale high.” make Rob a person everyone both likes and respects. I trust him implicitly and would have no hesitation recommending him for any MD job.”
Further referees include Nick Finlow (West-End Supervisor/MD) (reference on request)