Matthew Jones

Matthew is widely acknowledged as one of the leading violists, violinists and pedagogues of his generation. Equally at home as soloist or chamber musician performing classical or contemporary repertoire, improvising or collaborating with other art forms, recent recital and chamber music venues include London’s Wigmore Hall and South Bank, and the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing; he made his critically acclaimed Carnegie Hall recital debut in 2008. He is violist of The Bridge Duo and the Debussy Ensemble, was a member of the Badke String Quartet when they won the 2007 Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, and is currently a member of Ensemble MidtVest, an innovative ten-piece chamber ensemble based in Denmark whose work includes classical and contemporary performance and improvisation. 

Born in Swansea, Wales, Matthew studied with Rivka Golani. He has recorded ten CDs, including three viola discs for Naxos of Prokofiev, York Bowen and other English composers with Michael Hampton, a violin/piano duo disc with wife Annabel Thwaite, and chamber works of Hilary Tann, Haflidi Hallgrimmsson and Vagn Holmboe. In February 2009 he gave the world premiere of Derek Ball’s Viola Concerto with the RTE National Symphony Orchestra; other recent concerto performances include Walton, Vaughan Williams and Berlioz. Matthew has commissioned numerous works and given many world and European premieres, and champions neglected viola works through recitals and recordings. 

Matthew was a guest performer at the 2008 Menuhin Violin Competition and has given masterclasses in the USA, Malaysia, Australia, Japan and throughout Europe. Through his long-term involvement with the ‘Live Music Now!’ and ‘Lost Chord’ schemes, Matthew remains committed to outreach and community work. In addition he is passionate about musical education for younger students through his work with such institutions as Pro Corda (as Intermediate Course director) and Aldeburgh Young Musicians.

Matthew is also a composer, mathematics graduate and teacher of the Alexander Technique and Kundalini Yoga. His holistic approach to music-making has led to great demand for his workshops and seminars on empowering musicians and enhancing performance, clients of which have included world-renowned conductors and soloists, world champion athletes and orchestras including the New World Symphony, Melbourne Symphony and the European Union Youth Orchestra. For more information, visit www.matt-jones.com.