Matthew Manchester  - trumpet/cornetto

 

Originally from Orange, NSW, Matthew Manchester holds a Bachelor of Music (Music Education) with Honours, a Master of Music (Performance) from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and is currently completing his PhD. A specialist early wind and brass player, Matthew is in demand as a performer on a wide range of early instruments, most notably cornetto and baroque trumpet.

 

Living in London from 2008-2012, Matthew performed with numerous European early music ensembles, including the Gabrieli Consort, His Majesty’s Sagbutts & Cornetts, London Early Opera, Wroclaw Baroque Orchestra, Concerto Gandersheim, Little Baroque Company, Manchester Baroque, Charivari Agreable, Oxford Baroque, and the Brandenburg Sinfonia. Matthew performs regularly as principal cornetto and guest principal trumpet of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, principal cornetto of the Orchestra of the Antipodes and Pinchgut Opera, and as a freelance soloist and ensemble musician throughout Australia. He has featured in performances with Australian orchestras and ensembles including Ironwood Chamber Ensemble, Latitude 37, The Australian Haydn Ensemble, The Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra, An Unholy Rackett, and the Academy of St James.

 

He is a founding member of the Australian Baroque Brass, and features on the critically acclaimed ‘Music of A Golden Age’ series of recordings. His discography includes dozens of recordings in both the U.K. and Australia, as well as numerous ABC Classic FM broadcasts. Matthew performs regularly in duet with his wife, soprano Anna Sandström, with whom he formed Camerata Antica in 2010. (www.camerataantica.com) The group has since gone on to perform throughout the UK, Europe and Australia. 

Matthew is also in demand as a choral, orchestral and band conductor. In the UK he was artistic director and conductor of the QC Chamber Choir, with whom he performed regularly in venues including Westminster Abbey. As part of the Symphony Australia Conductor Development Program, he conducted the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Victoria. A passionate music educator, Matthew is co-conductor of the NSW Schools Symphonic Wind Orchestra at the Arts Unit and has conducted numerous university and school ensembles in Australia, including the Sydney Youth Orchestra, the NSW Schools Senior Singers, the Schools Spectacular combined choir. Matthew has also been engaged as guest director with the Sydney Conservatorium Early Music Ensemble and as artist in residence at the Australian National University Faculty of Music, and the University of Melbourne.

 

Matthew is currently Director of Bands and the head of the Instrumental Music Program at Fort Street High School, leading a thriving program of over 320 students. He also teaches pre-Baroque performance practice at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, in addition to a busy performance schedule throughout Australia and Europe.