'Cellist Matthew was born in Scotland, grew up in Kent and graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with 1st class honours.
Matthew is a versatile musician. He regularly plays with orchestras such as the Philharmonia, the Royal Opera House, the English National Opera, the Northern Sinfonia, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra among many others. He has been guest principal cello of the Scottish Opera Orchestra and the London Gala Orchestra and enjoys frequent tours abroad.
Outside of orchestral playing he is the cellist of the Trelawn String Quartet and the Czardas Duo with accordionist Ian Watson and was the cellist in the seven-piece ensemble for the première season of Jonathan Dove’s opera The Enchanted Pig at the Young Vic Theatre. He is a busy session musician too and has recently written the string parts for the Phatfish and played cello, harmonica and percussion with Danish pop singer Viktoria Hansen when she performed in London this year.
His work in education is wide ranging; he teaches cello and double bass, as well as being a course director of the Oxford Cello School. He also leads improvisation workshops around the U.K. and has done many visits to schools and festivals with various groups, including Ceilidh and jazz ensembles. His schedule has also included work as jazz pianist, conductor, writer and arranger.
He lives in London with his wife Jenny, enjoys cooking and walks in the countryside, has a pathological aversion to wasps and is a keen supporter of Dunfermline and Charlton Athletic Football Clubs.
