HIGHLIGHTS SO FAR.....
Matthew was accepted into the Bachelor of Music degree at the Western Australian Conservatorium of Music at the age of 16. He graduated in 2000, winning the Bob Wyllie Scholarship for best graduating student.
Selected as one of five Jazz winners from around the world in the IAJE / NFAA (National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts) in 1996. Received the title of a Clifford Brown / Stan Getz Fellow. Along with the four other finalists Matthew performed in Miami and then to an audience of 8,000 at the IAJE conference in Chicago.
In 1997 at the age of 16, Matthew became the first Australian student to be invited to perform at the hallowed venue of Carnegie Hall in New York. He performed alongside the four other Clifford Brown / Stan Getz Fellow finalists, along with Terri-Lyn Carrington on drums and James Williams on piano. This opened the week-long JVC Jazz Festival in New York, and the concert also featured Wallace Roney, Kevin Mahogony and Dianne Reeves.
Matthew was one of 6 national finalists for the James Morrison Scholarship in 1996, 1997 & 1998, winning in 1998.
In the Young Australian Of The Year Awards for 1998 Matthew won the Arts Award for Western Australia and also won the overall award of The Young Achiever of the Year Award For Western Australia. He was also a National Arts Finalist, chosen as 1 of 3 finalists from around Australia for the Young Australian of the Year Arts Award in Canberra. He consequently performed in the Great Hall of Parliament House, Canberra with the James Morrison Quintet at these awards in front of some very distinguished guests including the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard.
Later that year Matthew toured to the Jazz Yatra festival in India playing lead trumpet with the Perth Jazz Orchestra. The band played in Bombay for the festival, as well as a concert in Puna. The PJO included musicians such as Jamie Oehlers, Carl Mackey, Jordan Murray, Matt Lees, Damian Maughan and many others.
In 1998 and 1999 Matthew was one of 12 jazz participants selected nationally to attend the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne followed by attendance and performance at the Wangarratta Jazz Festival with Graeme Lyall and Tony Gould.
In 2003 Matthew was commissioned by the Perth Jazz Society to composed a 40 minute work featuring Australian Jazz legend Allan Browne and a seven piece ensemble. The work was recorded for radio, and its musical intention was to fuse elements of traditional jazz, Australian jazz history, and modern harmony and concepts.
Later that year Matthew flew to Sydney to record the CD On The Edge with James Morrison at the Opera House. In 2004 the band toured Australia to launch the album, as well as a tour through Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Czeck Republic. In 2006 the group returned Europe, this time visiting Sweden, London, Russia, Austria and Germany.
In 2004 Matthew recorded his debut album, Blues In The Night, featuring Joe Chindamo, Sam Anning, Ben Vanderwal, Carl Mackey and James Morrison. He subsequently launched the album in February/March 2006 in Melbourne (Bennetts Lane), Sydney (The Basement), Brisbane (The Zoo), Perth (Hyde Park Hotel) and Adelaide. The touring group consisted of Joe Chindamo, Sam Anning, and Felix Bloxson, and also featured guest appearances by Jamie Oehlers in Melbourne and Brisbane, Carl Mackey in Perth, and James Morrison in Sydney.
In August 2005 Matthew performed at the Melbourne International Brass Festival as soloist with the Darryl McKenzie Jazz Orchestra alongside Bill Watrous and James Morrison, as well as guest soloist with the Joe Chindamo trio.
So far Matthew has performed with names such as:
Frank Foster; Ernie Watts; Terri-Lyn Carrington; James Williams; James Morrison; Josh Roseman; Bill Watrous; Gary Bartz; Jason Marsalis; Carlos Henriques; Andy Milne; Terell Stafford; Ingrid Jensen; Graeme Lyall; Don Burrows; Joe Chindamo; Tony Gould; Bernie McGann; John Pochee; Allan Browne.
He has recorded on numerous albums including: Blues In The Night 2004, Re-Turning Point, Sam Anning - 2006, Jazz Juice, Graham Wood - 2006, Live At The Jazz Room, Danny Moss Quartet - 2005, Glyn MacDonald Trio, Glyn MacDonald 2004, On The Edge, James Morrison - 2003, Adapt, Salamander - 2002, Billie Holiday Music Story - 2001, as well as some ABC broadcasts with Speedball, Dr. Jazz and his own quartet.
