Richard is Head of Programme at Liverpool Philharmonic with responsibility for around 350 shows per year in the 1600 capacity hall, the 250 capacity Music Room (10th anniversary in 2025), and a number of co promotions at the Tung Auditorium. In 2017 he co-produced the national tour of ‘It Was 50 Years Ago Today’ a collaboration between the RLPO and Bootleg Beatles to mark the 50th anniversary of the release of the Sgt Pepper album, and in association with the University of Liverpool, co-produced ‘George Harrison; The Story of the Beatles and Indian Music’. This was followed in 2019 with a further collaboration, ‘And in The End’ celebrating the 50th anniversary of the release of Abbey Road and Let It Be and in 2024 ‘For You Blue’ for the 50th anniversary of the 1967-70 Blue Album, which is touring again this July.
He is a former Director of The Met Arts Centre, Bury, Phoenix Arts Leicester, and De Montfort Hall Leicester and was the founding Co-Director of both the Summer Sundae Weekender (Best Small Festival UK Festival Awards 2006) and the Big Session Festivals. In 2000 he led Leicester’s seven stage participation in BBC Music Live, and in 2001 event managed ‘One Big Sunday’ for BBC Radio 1 with 80,000 attenders.
He is currently Vice Chair of the British Association of Concert Halls (BACH), a founding member and non-executive director of both the Music Beyond Mainstream touring network (25 years this Autumn) and Sound Roots, and of Big Difference Productions. He is a former chair of Modal (an annual conference and representative organisation for folk, roots, jazz, world and left field music) and former Vice Chair of Leicester Comedy Festival. He has represented Liverpool Philharmonic at the Music Venues Trust, Showcase Scotland, English Folk Expo, Focus Wales, ILMC, the Concert Promoters Association, Live UK, WOMEX and Liverpool Sound City. He has been a panelist at numerous conferences and a guest lecturer at both Liverpool and De Montfort Universities.