Name: Adam Dennis
What dates did you study at Prior Pursglove College?: 1999-2001
Subjects studied: Music, Business Studies and Media Studies
Secondary school: Kings Manor
Memories of Prior: Wonderful memories of my time at South Park and Prior.
Current Profession: Professional composer and musician
About the journey: Adam is a former student of Prior Pursglove College completing his studies in 2001, achieving Grade A in music.
From Prior he went on to study BA Hons in Jazz Piano and Composition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and was delighted to be made a professor of studio piano there in 2019.
Adam has become one of the UK’s go-to live and studio session piano players. He has worked as Musical Director on many West End shows including, Grease, Dirty Dancing, Viva Forever, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Beautiful (the Carole King Musical), and more recently as an arranger and Pianist to many artists from a wide range of musical genres. Adam’s list of musical collaborations includes Robbie Williams, Freya Ridings, Gregory Porter, Sting, Shirley Bassey, Noel Gallagher, Lisa Stansfield, Paul Carrack, Ed Sheeran, The Spice Girls, Nile Rodgers, Chic, Carole King, Rita Wilson, Hanson, Paul Rodgers, Howard Jones, Mica Paris, Grace Carter, Bill Bailey, Heather Small, Nicole Sherzinger, Imelda May, Gary Barlow, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lea Salonga, Michael Bolton, Tony Christie, Jack Jones, Sheridan Smith, The Lightning Seeds, Rita Ora, StarSailor, George Ezra, Ellie Goulding, Lemar, Charlie XCX, Luke Evans, Guy Garvey, John Rutter, Katie Melua, Rick Astley, Level 42, Sean Escoffrey, Michael Ball, Alfie Boe, Harry Connick Jnr, John Miles, Ruby Turner, Fleur East, Beverly Knight, Gareth Malone, Aimee Atkinson, Samantha Barks, Lee Mead, Cassidy Janson, Marisha Wallace, Martine McCutcheon, Kerry Ellis and Petula Clarke amongst many others. .
Adam recently worked on the 2023 Royal Variety Performance, which aired in December 2023.
He has worked extensively writing and arranging for TV shows including, several Series of X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, The Royal Variety Performance, Pitch Battle, All Star Musicals and as Musical Director for BBC 1’s ‘Little Big Shots’ and the BBC/HBO drama “SAS Rouge Heroes” series 2., which will air in Autumn 2024.
He has also composed music for numerous TV and film productions that have been featured in hundreds of tv shows and films worldwide.
Adam, who regularly visits family locally, was excited to hear about the college 2023 production of ‘Beautiful’ and joined us to talk about his own journey and about what it was like to work on the West End show, as well as offering his encouragement and support to the students in the final week of their rehearsals.