Michael Carter

About Michael

Michael Carter is an organist from the West Midlands, near Solihull. He plays both electronic and theatre organ.

During his concerts you will hear a mix of theatre organ standards, orchestral arrangements, light classical items, film music and showtunes, as well as some popular tunes and diverse musical interpretations.

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"Thanks Michael for an enjoyable concert. We had very favourable comments on your programme choice, especially the Film Music items."  Leamington Spa & District Organ Society. (Yamaha EL900m)

"Thank you Michael for an extremely entertaining hour of music performed by yourself at our Wurlitzer on Easter Sunday. Our audience were so pleased with the variation of Musicals & Light Classical tunes eg 'Blood Brothers selection' and 'The Legend of the Glass Mountain'."  Shropshire Theatre Organ Trust - (3/10 Wurlitzer)

“Michael played a very varied programme of music to suit all tastes. This included a selection from ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, ‘The Godfather’, ‘Meditation’ and ‘The Legend of the Glass Mountain’. His presentation was excellent and an enjoyable evening was had by all.”  Cookhill Keyboard Club. (Yamaha D-Deck DDK7)

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Michael started learning to play the organ following a visit to Blackpool Tower, aged nine. Michael was mesmerised by the sound and remembers deciding there and then that he wanted to play that instrument.  Within a few years of hard work and with tutorage from Midlands Cinema Organist, Foley Bates, he returned to the Tower and achieved his ambition to play the famous instrument.

Throughout his teenage years he worked weekends and school holidays in local music shops and continued with his lessons in theatre style whilst developing his own approach on electronic.

Michael started performing for concerts, dancing, and local events including an appearance on the same bill as a young Joe Pasquale for a charity event.  Throughout this time he owned many instruments and most performances were either on his Hammond M102 or latterly a Yamaha HS series.  His love for theatre organ remained and Michael performed a number of concerts alongside his teacher as well as solo events.

After a 20-year musical hiatus to focus his career in IT, Michael acquired a Yamaha HX1 and then an EL900m.  He has now returned to the concert circuit on both electronic (Yamaha Stagea D-Deck DDK-7) and theatre organ.  With a full-time career as an IT professional, Michael is only able to accept a limited number of engagements each year. Please do get in touch early, if possible, to help with diary planning.

In his spare time, Michael helps with maintenance at some theatre organ venues and is the editor for 'Cinema Organ'; the quarterly journal of the Cinema Organ Society, taking over the role from John Leeming.  Not content with this, his garage now houses a 2-manual Wurlitzer console that he is rebuilding as a Virtual Theatre Pipe Organ.

This year sees Michael at St Audries Bay Organ Festival, as well as a number of electronic societies, in addition to his theatre organ performances. He is paying a return visit to The Netherlands in September to play two concerts for the N.O.F. and is also delighted to have been invited to share a concert at Saltaire in August, on one of his favourite instruments, for the Northern District of the Cinema Organ Society. 

Booking now for 2020

Michael's Photo Gallery

Michael's Concert Diary