Even if you don't know Producer Nigel Wright's name, you've probably heard his work. He's racked up more than 40 top-20 hits over the past two decades, producing such platinum-selling artists as Barbra Streisand, Madonna, José Carreras, Sarah Brightman, Cliff Richard and Take That. As Music Producer for Andrew Lloyd Webber, he received an Oscar nomination for the film Evita, and has overseen cast and soundtrack albums for Jesus Christ Superstar, Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Starlight Express, and Sunset Boulevard, to name a few. In recent years, Wright has also served as music director and conductor of the hit television show American Idol, and produced the Idol finalists' CD, American Idol Season Two: All American Love Songs.

Nigel launched his production career in the 1980s with the group Shakatak, for whom he also played keyboards. He describes himself as a musical "jack of all trades" with skills on trombone, piano, guitar and bass. "I've never done anything else but music," he says. "I always knew it was what I wanted to do. Being a producer requires diplomacy and an ability to know how to get the very best out of people—but it also helps to know all of these instruments. You can't push a musician to achieve more, or better, unless you speak the same language. It helps command respect from musicians if they realize that you know what you are talking about."

Wright's partnership with Andrew Lloyd Webber started over 13 years ago with, of all things, a novelty record. "It was a summer hit idea of Andrew's: a remake of ‘Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,' by Bombalurina, which I produced for Polydor," Nigel explains. "He loved the record and asked to meet me. We listened to the original recording of Joseph together, and revamped and modernized it for the London show—and we made it to number one with the very first single! That meant we had two number-one records in six months. Since then, we haven't stopped." In addition to producing various projects in the state-of-the-art London recording studio they co-own, Wright and Webber have collaborated on elaborate live productions such as the Twin Tower Memorial Concert in New York and a 96- track concert recording in Beijing.

"You can't push a musician to achieve more, or better, unless you speak the same language."

There are conceptual and technical differences between producing pop records and theatrical soundtracks, Wright says. "Soundtracks are about capturing the moment—technical perfection often gives way to the performance. But pop records are based on an idea of perfection. They're designed to sound great on radio. And usually, with pop records, we have more time to get it right." This attention to detail is evident on such Wright-produced hits as Cliff Richard's number-one single, "The Millennium Prayer," and his work with such pop groups as 5ive and Boyzone.

And then there's television, which brings a whole new world of production challenges. As the music director of American Idol and other shows, Wright has faced some truly daunting deadlines. "There's a need for the highest quality in the shortest amount of time," he says. "It's like trying to produce 12 master tracks for a record that, under normal circumstances, would take four to five weeks—but with these shows, you start again in just two days!"

The ultra-condensed timelines of TV production have made Wright especially appreciative of his Yamaha Motif ES8. "The Motif is a great all-around keyboard," he notes. "I first discovered it on American Idol, when it was hired in for me. I had to conduct, produce, arrange and play keyboards all at once, and it gave me an incredible range of sounds. And I could find the right sounds in seconds, which was all the time I had!"

Wright won't get much of a chance to catch his breath in the near future, it seems. He's been working on several more television shows, including a UK version of American Idol called X Factor. "I'm also coorchestrating a new version of Evita with Andrew, and working on Sound of Music for the West End," he says. "And I have another show and a film in pre-production."

With so many credits in Nigel's name, it's almost unfair to ask him which productions were his favorites—but certain projects do stand out. "Working with Barbra Streisand on tracks for her 1993 album Back to Broadway was one," he says. "Working with Madonna on Evita, and the Phantom of the Opera movie—all were huge projects and hugely challenging."

Finally, for those who aspire to a career in music production, Wright has a few words of advice: "Start at the bottom and work hard. Never give up, and remain dedicated to your business. It should be the love of your life, and never feel like a job. If it does, get out!"