Matthew is a music director, conductor, composer and pianist whose music has been heard around New Zealand and the world. He holds a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of Canterbury. He also holds a Diploma in Piano Performance from Trinity College London and currently lectures in music courses at the University of Canterbury School of Music and NASDA at Ara Institute of Canterbury.
His previous Court Theatre credits include The Events (musical director); Mary Poppins; Legally Blonde the Musical and Chicago (deputy musical director/keyboards); In The Next Room, or the vibrator play (arranger); The Mikado (repetiteur); The Early Early Late Show (pianist) and Puss in Boots; The Little Mermaid and Little Red Riding Hood (composer/sound designer) alongside regular appearances as a musician with The Court Jesters in Scared Scriptless.
Matthew’s other theatre credits as musical director include Catch Me If You Can the Musical (Blackboard Theatre Collective); Sister Act (Showbiz Christchurch); The Last Five Years (Kindle Theatre), Little Women; Ragtime and Working (NASDA). Further work as assistant music director and pianist includes Les Misérables; Wicked; Hairspray; Mamma Mia!; Evita; Monty Python’s Spamalot; The Phantom of the Opera and Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story (Showbiz Christchurch).
As a conductor, Matthew is currently Artistic Director of the Christchurch Pops Choir and a director of the Canterbury Lawyers’ Choir and has previously conducted the Jubilate Singers, St Andrew’s Choirs and New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Choir. As a composer, Matthew’s work has been performed and recorded in London, Prague, Malta, Miami and around New Zealand. Highlights include the premiere of his composition Fractures in Westminster Abbey, as well as having work performed by the NZ Trio and winning the Douglas Lilburn Trust Composition Award.
In 2017 Matthew was accepted into the New York University Film Scoring Summer School and scored for a studio orchestra.
Court Shows
- 2018 - Jesus Christ Superstar - Asst. Musical Director/Repetiteur
- 2018 - Mum's Choir - Musical Director
- 2018 - In the Next Room, or the vibrator play - Music Arranger
- 2016 - Legally Blonde the Musical - Assistant Conductor / Keyboard 2
- 2016 - The Events - Musical Director
- 2016 - Puss in Boots - Composer / Sound Designer
- 2016 - The Little Mermaid - Sound Designer
- 2015 - Mary Poppins - Keyboard
- 2015 - Little Red Riding Hood - Composer / Sound Designer
- 2015 - The Early Early Late Show 2015 - Pianist