Cliff Masterson is an orchestrator, conductor, songwriter, arranger and music producer. He graduated from the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

in 1995. Cliff was awarded an Associate of the

(

ARAM Aram may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Aram'' (film), 2002 French action drama * Aram, a fictional character in Japanese manga series '' MeruPuri'' * Aram Quartet, an Italian music group * ''Aram'' (Kural book), the first of the three ...

) in 2016 and a Fellow of the

in 2022.

Career

Classical music

He has worked as both

orchestrator Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musical ensemble, such as a concert band) or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", orch ...

and

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

for artists including The

Opera Babes The Opera Babes are an English crossover classical music duo, consisting of Karen England, mezzo-soprano, and Rebecca Knight, soprano. The duo came to wide attention when they sang "Un bel dì vedremo" (from the opera ''Madame Butterfly'') on ...

, The Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir, The Spirit of the Glen, Leslie Garrett, G4,

Vanessa Mae Vanessa-Mae ( zh, s=陈美, p=Chén Měi; born 27 October 1978), also called Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson, is a British violinist with album sales reaching several million, having made her the wealthiest entertainer under 30 in the United Ki ...

and celebrated tenor

Mario Frangoulis Mario Frangoulis (; born 18 December 1966 ) is a Greek vocalist, famous for his refined tenor vocals. Born in Rhodesia, Frangoulis after his three-decade long career has established himself as a critically and commercially acclaimed recording art ...

. He has conducted the

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, England. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable recording contracts and important engagemen ...

, The

Nashville String Machine Nashville String Machine is a musical collective comprising session musicians, based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Members of the group have been credited on records dating from 1972 to the present, although the group was formally formed ...

London Session Orchestra The London Session Orchestra was a film, TV, and pop orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1993 and led by Gavyn Wright and is known for its work on movies such as ''Run Lola Run'' (1998) ''V for Vendetta'' (2005), and '' Mission: Impossibl ...

as well as orchestras in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. Cliff arranged and produced the "Titanic Requiem" for

Robin Gibb Robin Hugh Gibb (22 December 1949 – 20 May 2012) was a British singer and songwriter. He gained global fame as a member of the Bee Gees with elder brother Barry and fraternal twin brother Maurice. Robin Gibb also had his own successfu ...

. The album, released in 2012, was the last work by the Bee Gee before his death. The hour-long work conducted by Cliff, was premiered at Westminster Central Hall in April 2012, featuring performances by Isabel Suckling,

Aled Jones Aled Jones, (born 29 December 1970) is a Welsh singer, radio and television presenter, and actor. As a teenage chorister, he gained widespread fame in 1985 with his recording of " Walking in the Air", which reached No 5 in the UK pop chart. He ...

and the

Pop

As an

arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestrat ...

and producer, his credits include

Little Mix Little Mix are an English girl group that formed on the eighth series of ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor.'' They are the first group and the only girl group to win the original UK series. The lineup consisted of Leigh-Anne Pin ...

Emeli Sandé Adele Emily Sandé ( ; previously Gouraguine; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a British singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Sandé rose t ...

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...

, Michael McDonald,

Westlife Westlife are an Irish pop group formed in Dublin in 1998. The group consists of members Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily. Brian McFadden was a member before leaving in March 2004. The group disbanded in 2012 and later reun ...

Ronan Keating Ronan Patrick John Keating (born 3 March 1977) is an Irish singer, songwriter, actor and presenter. He debuted in 1993 alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately, as the co-lead singer (with Gately) of Irish pop g ...

Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of the Motown group Commodores; writing and recor ...

Labrinth Timothy Lee McKenzie (born 4 January 1989), better known by his stage name Labrinth, is an English singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Labrinth signed as a recording artist with Simon Cowell's record label Syco Music in 2010, ini ...

Il Divo Il Divo (; ) are a multinational classical crossover vocal group. Formed in the United Kingdom in 2003, it is a male quartet that was created and then promoted by British media magnate Simon Cowell for Syco Music, a record label that he had ...

and

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment Susan Boyle Susan Magdalane Boyle (born 1 April 1961) is a Scottish singer who rose to fame in 2009 after appearing as a contestant on the third series of '' Britain's Got Talent'', singing " I Dreamed a Dream" from '. As of 2021, Boyle has sold 25 ...

with Steve Anderson. "Home For Christmas", "Hope" and "Wonderful World". As a

songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...

he has had songs recorded by

Charlotte Church Charlotte Maria Church (born Charlotte Maria Reed, 21 February 1986) is a British singer-songwriter, actress, and television presenter from Cardiff, Wales. As a child, Church was a popular classical singer with a less-successful attempt to mov ...

Shayne Ward Shayne Thomas Ward (born 16 October 1984) is an English singer and actor. He rose to fame as the winner of the second series of ''The X Factor''. His debut single, "That's My Goal", was released in the United Kingdom on 21 December 2005 a ...

Journey South Journey South are an English singing duo, consisting of brothers Andy and Carl Pemberton. They are from Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire. Initially the brothers lead a five piece rock band 'The Answer' featuring musicians from the North East of E ...

Anthony Callea Anthony Cosmo Callea (born 13 December 1982) is an Australian singer-songwriter and stage actor who rose to prominence as the runner-up in the 2004 season of ''Australian Idol''. Callea's debut single, a cover of Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli' ...

Tina Arena Filippina Lydia "Tina" Arena (born 1 November 1967) is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, musical theatre actress and record producer. She is one of Australia's highest-selling artists and has sold over 10 million records worldwid ...

and

Andy Abraham Andrew Abraham (born 17 July 1964) is a British singer. He was the runner-up in the The X Factor (British series 2), second UK series of TV talent show ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor'' in 2005 to Shayne Ward, and also represent ...

. He also wrote and produced the theme song, "Destiny", for the Mission: SPACE attraction in

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...

, Florida. In November 2012, Masterson was the conductor for a slowed-down orchestral version of

Mumford and Sons Mumford may refer to: Places ;In the United States *Mumford, Missouri, an unincorporated community *Mumford, New York, a hamlet in the town of Wheatland, New York *Mumford, Texas, an unincorporated community *Mumford High School in Detroit, Michi ...

song "

I Will Wait "I Will Wait" is a song by British rock band Mumford & Sons. The track was first released in the United States on 7 August 2012 as the lead single from the band's second studio album, ''Babel'' (2012). The song sold 153,000 copies in the United ...

" from

at the

Radio 1 Live Lounge ''Radio 1's Live Lounge'' is a collection of live tracks played on Jo Whiley's Radio 1 show. It consists of both covers and the bands' own songs. Originally, it was scheduled for release in May 2006, but later changed to be released on 16 Octo ...

. He also arranged strings in this version.http://steveandersonproductions.com/little-mix-i-will-wait-live-lounge/

Musical theatre

He has worked as

musical director A music director, musical director or director of music is a person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert ...

for the

National Youth Music Theatre The National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) is an arts organisation in the United Kingdom providing pre-professional education and musical theatre stage experience for young people. Based in London, it is constituted as a private limited company (or ...

(NYMT),

Theatr Clwyd Theatr Clwyd () is a regional arts centre and producing theatre from Mold, Flintshire, in North East Wales. It opened as Theatr Clwyd in 1976, but was known between 1998 and 2015 as Clwyd Theatr Cymru, before reverting to its original name. His ...

and the New Shakespeare Company. He has written two award-winning musicals and has been a finalist in the Vivan Ellis/PRS awards having had his work performed at both the London Palladium and the Edinburgh Festival. He has worked on albums for

Lee Mead Lee Stephen Mead (born 14 July 1981) is an English musical theatre, television actor and occasional singer, best known for winning the title role in the 2007 West End revival of ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' through the BBC TV ...

(Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) and

Connie Fisher Connie Fisher (born 17 June 1983) is a British actress, singer and TV presenter, who won the BBC One talent contest '' How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?'' On 15 November 2006, she opened to excellent reviews in the part of Maria von Trapp i ...

(The Sound of Music) for

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...

. He has also produced tracks for

Michael Ball Michael Ashley Ball (born 27 June 1962) is an English singer, presenter and actor. In 1985, he made his West End debut as Marius Pontmercy in the original production of ''Les Misérables''. In 1989, he reached number two in the UK Singles C ...

Film

He has orchestrated movies including '' Alfie'', '' Goal!'', '' The Hole'', '' The Mummy 3'', ''

Doctor Strange Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as ...

'' and ''

Hacksaw Ridge ''Hacksaw Ridge'' is a 2016 epic biographical war film directed by Mel Gibson and written by Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan, based on the 2004 documentary '' The Conscientious Objector'' directed by Terry Benedict. Set in World War II, A ...

''. He has conducted movies including ''

Jurassic World Dominion ''Jurassic World Dominion'' is a 2022 American Science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Colin Trevorrow, who co-wrote the screenplay with Emily Carmichael (filmmaker), Emily Carmichael from a story by Derek Connolly and Tre ...

, ''

Elvis (2022 film) Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

and

The Batman (film) ''The Batman'' is a 2022 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. Directed by Matt Reeves from a screenplay he wrote with Peter Craig, it is a reboot of the ''Batman'' film franchise produced by DC Films. Robert ...

Selected works

Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, ...

- ''

Both Sides Now "Both Sides, Now" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. One of the first recordings is by Judy Collins, whose version appeared on the US singles chart during the fall of 1968. (The earliest commercial release was by Dave Van Ro ...

'' (2020) - String arranger, conductor *

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...

- ''

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

Piano room sessions'' (2023) - String arranger, conductor * Tom Walker - ''Leave A Light On'' (2018) - String arranger, conductor * Knives Out: Glass Onion - (2022) - Conductor *

Dug Days ''Dug Days'' (also known as ''Up: Dug Days'') is an American animated series of shorts created, written, and directed by Bob Peterson and produced by Pixar Animation Studios initially for Disney+. The series is set immediately after the 2009 fi ...

- Conductor *

Werewolf by Night (TV special) ''Werewolf by Night'' is an American television special directed by Michael Giacchino and written by Heather Quinn and Peter Cameron for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics featuring the character Werewolf by Night, of th ...

- (2022) - Conductor *

Elvis Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Presley's sexuall ...

- (2022) - Conductor * Thor: Love and Thunder - (2022) - Conductor *

- (2022) - Conductor * Jurassic World: Dominion - (2022) - Conductor * Mission: Space - ''Destiny'' - Songwriter and producer * Call of Duty: Vanguard - (2021) - Conductor * The Witches - (2020) - Conductor *

Luke Evans Luke George Evans (born 15 April 1979) is a Welsh actor and singer. He began his career on the stage, and performed in London's West End productions of '' Rent'', ''Miss Saigon'', and '' Piaf'' before making his film breakthrough in the 2010 ...

- ''At Last'' (2019) Arranger, Conductor *

- ''Timeless'' (2018) Orchestral arranger * Alien: Covenant - (2017) - Conductor *

- (2016) - Conductor *

Kylie Christmas ''Kylie Christmas'' is the thirteenth studio album and first Christmas album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released on 13 November 2015 by Parlophone. Following the release of her twelfth studio album, ''Kiss Me Once'', Minogue an ...

- (2015) - Arranger, conductor *

- ''

Our Version Of Events ''Our Version of Events'' is the debut studio album by Scottish singer Emeli Sandé. The album was released on 13 February 2012 by Virgin Records, following Sandé's winning of the Critics' Choice Award at the BRIT Awards 2012. Though ''Our Ver ...

'' (2012) - String arranger, conductor *

Susan Boyle Susan Magdalane Boyle (born 1 April 1961) is a Scottish singer who rose to fame in 2009 after appearing as a contestant on the third series of '' Britain's Got Talent'', singing " I Dreamed a Dream" from '. As of 2021, Boyle has sold 25 ...

- Producer, String arranger, conductor *

- ''

Secret Love Song "Secret Love Song" is a song released by British girl group Little Mix, featuring guest vocals from American singer-songwriter Jason Derulo. It was released as the third single from the group's third studio album, '' Get Weird,'' by Syco Records ...

'' (2016) - String arranger, conductor * Michael McDonald - ''

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

'' - String arranger

References

External links

* *
Cliff Masterson
at AllMusic {{DEFAULTSORT:Masterson, Cliff Living people Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music English composers English conductors (music) British male conductors (music) British music arrangers 21st-century British conductors (music) 21st-century British male musicians Year of birth missing (living people)