Biography

Born in Townsville, North Queensland, Matthew's career as a violinist began as a soloist with the former Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra at just fifteen years of age. Since then he has performed over 30 different concertos and solo works with orchestra. He has appeared as soloist in concert alongside internationally acclaimed musicians Slava Grigoryan, Karin Schaupp and José Carbó. He performed for HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, served as pre-tour soloist for Vadim Repin with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and was soloist numerous times with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. In recent years Matthew has performed across the world as a soloist including in the UK, Germany, Spain, China and Australia whilst continuing to perform with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and as a member of the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra.

In 2006 Matthew was a finalist in the Symphony Australia Young Performer’s Awards. In the same year, he received the Australian Music Examination Board’s highest award, the ‘Fellowship of Music’. In 2007 Matthew received first prize in the Gisborne International Music Competition and the Australian Concerto and Vocal Competition. He has been the recipient of many awards and scholarships including a Llewellyn Foundation Scholarship and the Hugh Brandon Memorial Scholarship from the Australian Music Examinations Board. Additionally, Matthew was selected for the Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition in Fermo, Italy.

He completed his Bachelor of Music at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University with Elizabeth Morgan. During this time he won all of the performance competitions open to him and was awarded the highest recital performance marks for strings. Matthew has attended mastercourses in Switzerland with renowned violinists Akiko Tatsumi and Zakhar Bron, and travelled to Finland to study the Sibelius and Rautavaara Violin Concertos with Jaakko and Pekka Kuusisito. Since 2009 Matthew has been based in Melbourne where he studied at the Australian National Academy of Music with William Hennessy and Adam Chalabi. This period saw him perform with members of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and perform chamber music with artists such as Anthony Marwood and the Brodsky Quartet. Throughout his career, he has participated in masterclasses with many of the world’s leading violinists including Rudolph Koelman, Thomas Zehetmair, Lara St. John, Dene Olding, Tasmin Little, Mark Kaplan and Charles Castleman.