scores played as they were originally intended to be.

Our Orchestra

In the wake of 2020, Sam Pope and Gregor Reid set out to set up a new orchestra, specialising solely in music written for the theatre.

Whilst on tour, the duo planned to form a group of musicians, from the northwest of England who would embrace their shared passion for musicals. The idea germinated from the plan to enjoy the scores of yesteryear with their friends, as a post-COVID concert. But before long, plans for the EMTO were drawn up.

Since then, the EMTO has been proud of its roots in the north of England, the incredible scores it performs, and the virtuosic abilities of each of its musicians.

Meet The Team.

  • Conductor - Gregor Reid

    Our Principal Conductor, Gregor Reid is an arranger, orchestrator and historian of Musical Theatre, graduating from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and studying Music Director at Mountview. Along with Sam, Gregor formed the orchestra in 2023 and has conducted each performance since.

  • Producer - Sam Pope

    Sam Pope has worked as a freelance percussionist and Percussion tutor for over 15 years. He has played for many Musical Theatre productions, Orchestras and other ensembles across the UK and formed the EMTO with Greg in 2023. He has an incredible passion for Musical Theatre and is frequently found in the orchestra pit, when he’s not inspiring the next generation of musicians!

In Coversation

Sam & Greg joined soloist Lisa Jane Kelsey ahead of the EMTO’s inaugural performance in May 2024. The event was covered by Manchester Theatres, and they created this video to promote the first performance of “Some Enchanted Evening”.

Lisa and Sam comment on how it feels to perform the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein, while Greg discusses the lineup of the orchestra, and what he’s excited about ahead of the concert.