Richard is well-known throughout the country for his work as a musical director, vocal coach, pianist, arranger and conductor. He recently completed a Master of Arts in Music and has his Licentiate from the Royal Schools of Music. Until recently, he worked at Ara Institute of Canterbury where he was manager of the degree programmes offered by the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art (NASDA) and Ara Music Arts.

He has conducted and arranged for Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Showbiz Christchurch, Wellington Musical Theatre, ARTCO, Dunedin Operatic, Wellington Vector Orchestra, Invercargill Musical Theatre and the Choral Federation, and arranged for the Christchurch City and Orpheus Choirs. Several of his orchestrations have been recorded with the NZSO and he has a busy schedule working as producer and arranger on a number of recording projects. Richard’s work with the CSO has included Starry Nights and Classical Sparks, and the popular concert productions of Oh, Danny Boy, Broadway Broads, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Bernstein & Sondheim and The Magical Music of Disney. Recently he has been collaborating with the well-known Broadway artist Liz Callaway which culminated in a recording session in Christchurch and the release of Beautiful City by Stephen Schwartz.

His numerous musical direction credits for theatre include: Mame, The King and I, Sweet Charity, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Tell Me on a Sunday, WestEnd to Broadway I, II, and III, Les Misérables, My Fair Lady, 42nd Street, Fiddler on the Roof, Annie, Urinetown, Grease, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, The Witches of Eastwick, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story, Spring Awakening, CATS, Hair, Chicago, Jesus Christ Superstar, Into the Woods, Curtains, Avenue Q, Miss Saigon, Ragtime, Mamma Mia!, Hairspray, Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein Classics, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Wicked and We Will Rock You.

He has been musical director with The Court Theatre for My Fair Lady, South Pacific, The Rocky Horror Show, The Sound of Music, Jerry’s Girls, Oliver!, Guys and Dolls, The Producers, La Cage aux Folles, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change!, Cabaret, Anything Goes, Side by Side by Sondheim, End of the Rainbow, Grease, Blood Brothers, Mary Poppins, Songs For Nobodies, Legally Blonde, Chicago and Jesus Christ Superstar. Recently he completed the musical supervision for the NZ Consortium touring productions of Hairspray, The Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Sister Act and Mamma Mia!