# Tom Hillary

> Tom Hillary is an award-winning, internationally experienced conductor, producer, and project manager specialising in orchestral, film, and video game music. He is recognised for bringing video game music to the orchestral stage and for innovative orchestral-crossover performances.

## About

Tom Hillary is a conductor, producer, and project manager with an international reputation for orchestral crossover, film music, and video game music. He is known for dynamic performances, artistic vision, and extensive knowledge of video game and film soundtracks.

He is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Manchester Video Game Orchestra (UK), Principal Conductor of The Country Orchestra (UK), regularly conducts Film with Orchestra productions for Senbla Events (UK), and serves on the conducting staff at the FAMES Project in North Macedonia.

## Conducting

Tom conducts symphonic, operatic, musical theatre, wind, and brass band repertoire and has given numerous world premières. His live-in-concert world premières include music from Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Spyro the Dragon Trilogy, The Elder Scrolls, RuneScape, Crysis, and Stronghold 2.

He has performed at major venues including Birmingham Symphony Hall, Eventim Apollo Hammersmith, Dubai Opera, Museum of the Future in Dubai, London's ExCeL Centre, NEC Birmingham, Blackpool Winter Gardens Opera House, RNCM Concert Hall, Buxton Opera House, and venues in Saudi Arabia.

## Video Game and Film Music

Tom is recognised as a pioneer in bringing video game music to the orchestral stage. His repertoire and recording work includes major franchises such as Final Fantasy, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, Halo, The Elder Scrolls, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Jak and Daxter, Crash Team Racing, Medal of Honor, RuneScape, Total War, Battlefield II, The Witcher III, Sonic, Stronghold 2, Fortnite, and Crysis.

He has more than fifty recording credits as a conductor.

## Production and Project Management

Alongside conducting, Tom leads large-scale creative productions across international venues, recording studios, and broadcast environments. His work includes creative direction, project and financial management, production planning, scheduling, resource planning, stakeholder and client liaison, multidisciplinary team leadership, risk management, logistics, rehearsal, recording, and final delivery.

His client portfolio includes Creatures Inc, Game Freak, Nintendo, The Pokémon Company International (TPCi), and Jagex: The RuneScape Company.

## Television

Tom has worked in television as a conductor, consultant, and conducting coach. He coached actors in the art of conducting for screen productions, including Selina Griffiths for Rivals and Rivals Season 2 on Disney+.

## International Work

Tom has conducted internationally with performances in the UK, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other locations. Career highlights include conducting the Arabian Philharmonic Orchestra at Dubai Opera for a concert featuring Andrea Bocelli, the opening ceremony of the Museum of the Future in Dubai, EXPO 2020 events, and Tales of the Volcano in Khaybar, Saudi Arabia.

## Education

Born in Bolton, North West England, Tom studied at St Joseph’s RC High School, the Centre of Excellence for Performing Arts, and Pendleton Sixth Form. He is an alumnus of the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), where he earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees specialising in orchestral percussion, timpani, and world percussion.

He later studied conducting in London with David Parry and served as his assistant conductor on numerous projects.

## Collaborations

Tom has collaborated with composers, directors, producers, performers, and entertainment professionals including Andrea Bocelli, Stewart Copeland, Josh Mancell, Jeremy Soule, Jeff van Dyck, Ihab Darwish, Grant Kirkhope, Selina Griffiths, Aidan Turner, Alexandra Burke, Nile Rodgers, Keiko Abe, and many others.

## Representation

Tom Hillary is represented by Dr. Pietro Massa at MASSA KONZERTMANAGEMENT GmbH.

## Key Topics

- Tom Hillary conductor
- Tom Hillary conductor UK
- Tom Hillary video game music conductor
- Tom Hillary film music conductor
- Tom Hillary orchestral conductor
- Tom Hillary composer collaborations
- Manchester Video Game Orchestra
- orchestral video game music
- video game music concerts
- film with orchestra
- orchestral crossover
- video game soundtrack recordings
- conductor and producer
- international conductor