Hurdy-Gurdy and New Music Projects

Matthew is a leading hurdy-gurdy specialist in the field of baroque and contemporary music.  He gave the first continental performance of Howard Skempton’s Concerto for Hurdy-Gurdy Percussion and Orchestra with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under Martyn Brabbins as part of the Musica Viva Festival in 2007.  Since then he has performed the piece many times both in this country and abroad.  With Sara Stowe Matthew has commissioned a collection of new works for Hurdy-Gurdy and voice.  Composers include Howard Skempton (2011), Christopher Fox (2006), Ivan Moody (2000), Andrew Huggill (1996).  Recently they have commissioned a new piece from Gavin Bryars for 2014.  For three years Matthew worked as a hurdy-gurdy player with the Swedish Group Lauda Novella. 

As a player of baroque hurdy-gurdy Matthew performs regularly with Chalemie and teaches the instrument as part of the Chalemie Summer School.   He has made a study of French publication for the ‘vielle’ in the years 1700-1780 and particularly the works of Boismortier, Chedeville, Bâton and Naudot.