Matt Withers
Matt Withers - guitarist
Matt Withers is an ambassador for Australian music, a well-established classical guitar pedagogue, performer and role model for musicians across the country.
His career to date has seen him perform with highly esteemed artists of the likes of William Barton, Sally Whitwell, Acacia Quartet, many national orchestras as well as maintaining strong commitments in the leading Australian chamber music group Guitar Trek alongside Timothy Kain.
Matt has a strong history of performing, recording and commissioning Australian works from distinguished composers as well as from generational peers. With solo and chamber studio albums released on ABC Classics (Australia) and Soundset Recordings (USA), he thrives on taking this music to wider audiences, broadening and expanding their musical horizons.
His entrepreneurial activities include the creation and development of the Matt Withers Australian Music Composition Competition which gives an avenue of support for Australian composers to have their music reach the ears and hearts of their audience. Matt has presented lectures on his passion The Entrepreneurial Guitarist in Europe to blossoming artists, eager to also find their niche in the musical world.
Matt has performed across the globe including being featured as a Rising Star at the World Expo in Shanghai (China). He has given showcase performances across Australia, New Zealand and Europe with highlights at embassies, universities, festivals and for community organisations. Matt has been invited to be an adjudicator for major guitar competitions including the Melbourne International Guitar Festival (Australia) and the Uppsala Guitar Festival (Sweden).
He is a mentor for young, emerging guitarists and musicians as shown through his role as Patron for the Senior Ensemble of SAYGE – the South Australian Youth Guitar Ensemble. Matt is regularly invited to present master-classes for tertiary students around Australia and internationally having mentored in Canberra, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, the Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music (Wellington) and across Europe at institutions in France and Sweden.