Colin Matthews

Short bio Colin Matthews

Birthday: 1946 in London, England

Active: 1970s - 2010s

Genre: Classical

Period: 20th Century, 21st Century, Contemporary

Full biography Colin Matthews

Colin Matthews is an English composer of contemporary classical music , noted for his large-scale orchestral compositions. He was born on February 13, 1946, and has contributed significantly to the world of classical music. Matthews has composed pieces for solo piano, string quartets, ensemble and orchestral compositions. One of his most notable works is his 2nd Cello Concerto, which he wrote while serving as an Associate Composer with the London Symphony Orchestra from 1992-9. Matthews has also written pieces inspired by astronomy, such as "Pluto the Renewer," which he composed in 2000. Interestingly, Matthews was asked by the Halle Orchestra to write a movement for "The Planets" suite by Gustav Holst , which had originally been composed before Pluto was discovered. Matthews composed "Pluto" in 2000, which paradoxically added Pluto to Holst's famous suite. Matthews has also contributed to the world of oboe music with significant and acclaimed works for the instrument. Overall, Colin Matthews is a highly regarded composer in the classical music world, and his contributions to orchestral and chamber music are widely acclaimed.

Compositions featuring Colin Matthews

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	Postludes, for oboe, string trio & string quartet	17:02 min	Chamber Music	2017
2	No Man's Land, for tenor, baritone & chamber orchestra	26:49 min	Vocal Music	2011
3	Crossing the Alps, for chorus & organ (optional)	6:32 min	Choral	2009
4	Alphabicycle Order, for narrator, children's chorus & orchestra	31:11 min	Choral	2007
5	Violin Concerto	20:07 min	Concerto	2007
6	Turning Point, for orchestra	20:15 min	Orchestral	2006
7	Flourish, with fireflies, for orchestra	4:56 min	Orchestral	2002
8	Horn Concerto	22:23 min	Concerto	2001
9	Aftertones, for soprano, chorus & orchestra	27:15 min	Choral	2000
10	Pluto: The Renewer, for orchestra (additional movement for Holst's "The Planets")	6:16 min	Orchestral	2000
11	Rosamund's March for piano	1:03 min	Keyboard	1997
12	Cello Concerto No. 2	27:10 min	Concerto	1995
13	Night-Spell, for harp, oboe & piano	4:27 min	Chamber Music	1993
14	Memorial, for large orchestra	16:16 min	Orchestral	1992
15	Broken Symmetry, for large orchestra	21:07 min	Orchestral	1991
16	Machines & Dreams (A Toy Symphony)	13:01 min	Orchestral	1990
17	Quatrain, for winds, brass & percussion	8:46 min	Orchestral	1989
18	Concertinos (5) for wind quintet	11:01 min	Chamber Music	1989
19	Fuga for chamber ensemble	10:53 min	Chamber Music	1988
20	Hidden Variables, for 15 players	12:24 min	Chamber Music	1988
21	Cortege, for orchestra	18:46 min	Orchestral	1988
22	Variations on Sumer is Icumen In: Variation 5	5:08 min	Orchestral	1987
23	Studies (11) in Velocity, for piano	12:07 min	Keyboard	1987
24	String Quartet No. 2	14:27 min	Chamber Music	1985
25	Suns Dance, for 10 players	17:45 min	Chamber Music	1984
26	Triptych, for ensemble	6:39 min	Chamber Music	1984
27	Cello Concerto No. 1, Op. 27	27:11 min	Concerto	1984
28	Night's Mask for soprano & chamber ensemble	11:05 min	Vocal Music	1984
29	Divertimento for double string quartet	20:00 min	Chamber Music	1982
30	The Great Journey, for baritone & 8 players	49:36 min	Vocal Music	1981
31	Oboe Quartet No. 1	11:13 min	Chamber Music	1981
32	Sonata for orchestra No. 5 ("Landscape"), Op. 17	31:13 min	Orchestral	1978
33	Fourth sonata for orchestra	25:09 min	Orchestral	1974
34	Un Colloque Sentimental, for voice & piano	17:00 min	Vocal Music	1971
35	60 Second Waltz, for piano	1:18 min	Keyboard	-
36	Waltz for piano trio	1:28 min	Chamber Music	-
37	Scherzetto, for ensemble	2:30 min	Chamber Music	-
38	Some Moths for Steve, for piano	1:02 min	Keyboard	-
39	Strugnell's Haiku, for voice & chamber ensemble	3:31 min	Vocal Music	-
40	Studies (5), for piano	14:23 min	Keyboard	-
41	The Angels' Carol, for chorus & organ	1:50 min	Choral	-
42	The Lobster Quadrille, for violin & piano (for collaborative "Wonderland" suite)	1:45 min	Chamber Music	-
43	Three Enigmas, for cello & piano	9:37 min	Chamber Music	-
44	Three of a Kind, for horn, cello & piano	9:41 min	Chamber Music	-
45	Galliard: Version 9 (after T. Morley), for harp, guitar & harpsichord	1:07 min	Chamber Music	-
46	Bright Cecilia: Variations on a Theme by Purcell	3:00 min	Orchestral	-
47	Cantata on the death of Antony, for soprano & chamber ensemble	4:00 min	Vocal Music	-
48	Galliard: Complete Version (after T. Morley), for 2 pianos, harp, guitar, harpsichord & marimba	3:09 min	Chamber Music	-
49	Galliard: Version 1 (after T. Morley), for 2 pianos	1:04 min	Keyboard	-
50	Galliard: Version 2 (after T. Morley), for 2 pianos	1:28 min	Keyboard	-
51	Galliard: Version 3 (after T. Morley), for 2 pianos	1:46 min	Keyboard	-
52	Galliard: Version 4 (after T. Morley), for harp, guitar, harpsichord & marimba	1:33 min	Chamber Music	-
53	Galliard: Version 5 (after T. Morley), for harp, guitar, harpsichord & marimba	1:42 min	Chamber Music	-
54	Galliard: Version 6 (after T. Morley), for harp, guitar & harpsichord	1:06 min	Chamber Music	-
55	Galliard: Version 7 (after T. Morley), for harp, guitar & harpsichord	1:47 min	Chamber Music	-
56	Galliard: Version 8 (after T. Morley), for harp, guitar & harpsichord	1:25 min	Chamber Music	-
57	Postlude: Monsieur Croche, for ensemble	3:49 min	Chamber Music	-
58	Galliard: Version 10 (after T. Morley), for harp, guitar & harpsichord	1:48 min	Chamber Music	-
59	Galliard: Version 11 (after T. Morley), for harp, guitar & harpsichord	1:25 min	Chamber Music	-
60	Galliard: Version 12 (after T. Morley), for 2 pianos, harp, guitar, harpsichord & marimba	1:26 min	Chamber Music	-
61	Galliard: Version 13 (after T. Morley), for 2 pianos, harp, guitar, harpsichord & marimba	1:29 min	Chamber Music	-
62	Ghost Story, for violin & piano	2:01 min	Chamber Music	-
63	March for piano trio	1:20 min	Chamber Music	-
64	Meditation after Telemann's Fantasy No. 12, for recorder	2:15 min	Chamber Music	-
65	Oscuro for viola & piano	4:26 min	Chamber Music	-
66	Out in the Dark, for voice & piano	2:18 min	Vocal Music	-
67	Panufnik Variations: Theme, Variation 1, and Finale, for orchestra (collaborative work based on a theme by Andrzej Panufnik)	3:28 min	Orchestral	-

Albums featuring Colin Matthews

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Anna Meredith, Alexander Goehr, Colin Matthews – Triptotage Miniatures : After The Waking : Postludes(CD, Album)	2020	NMC (3)
2	Alma Mahler-Werfel, Alexander Von Zemlinsky, Gustav Mahler, Anton Webern, David Matthews (9), Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, John Casken, John Tomlinson (2), Rosanna Madylus, Counterpoise (3), Colin Matthews – Kokoschka's Doll(CD, Stereo)	2019	Champs Hill Records
3	Violin Concerto / Cortège / Cello Concerto No. 2(CD, )	2016	NMC (3)
4	Gustav Mahler, Colin Matthews, Geert van Keulen, Detlev Glanert, Willem Jeths, Joey Roukens, Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin, Luciano Berio, Matthew Hindson, Lothar Zagrosek, Markus Stenz, Ed Spanjaard, David Robertson (5), Susanna Mälkki, Detlef Roth, A	2011	RCO Live
5	Simon Rattle, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Holst, Grainger, Walton, Arnold, Maw, Knussen, Matthews, Adès, Turnage – British Music(11×CD, Compilation, Stereo, Box Set, )	2009	EMI Classics
6	Debussy, Colin Matthews, Hallé, Sir Mark Elder – Jeux - Preludes(CD, )	2009	Hallé Concerts Society
7	Divertimento; Oboe Quartet No. 1; Triptych; Five Concertinos; String Quartet No. 2(CD, Album)	2008	NMC (3)
8	Moritz Eggert, Colin Matthews, Theo Verbeij, Detlev Glanert - Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Markus Stenz, Jörgen van Rijen – Horizon 1(SACD, Hybrid, Multichannel, Stereo, Album)	2008	RCO Live
9	Hallé, Colin Matthews - Sir Mark Elder, Richard Watkins / Edward Gardner, Henry Goodman – Horn Concerto / Alphabicycle Order(CD, )	2008	Hallé Concerts Society
10	Debussy / Colin Matthews – Hallé, Mark Elder (2) – La Mer / Preludes(CD, Album, Enhanced)	2007	Hallé Concerts Society
11	Holst / Simon Rattle, Berliner Philharmoniker / Matthews • Saariaho • Pintscher • Turnage • Dean – The Planets • Asteroids	2006	EMI Classics
12	Bridge, Ireland, Britten, L. Berkeley, Stevenson, C. Matthews, Anthony Goldstone – Britten Resonances(CD, Album, Remastered)	2005	Diversions (3)
13	Holst / Matthews – The Planets - Somerset Rhapsody / Pluto(CD, )	2005	Apex
14	Alexander Baillie, London Sinfonietta, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, John Carewe / London Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas / Colin Matthews – Landscape / Cello Concerto No 1 / Hidden Variables / Memorial / Quatrain / Machines & Dreams(2×CD	2004	NMC (3)
15	Gustav Holst, Colin Matthews, The Hallé Orchestra, Mark Elder (2) – The Planets - Pluto	2001	Hyperion
16	Colin Matthews, David Wilson-Johnson, Patrizia Kwella, The Nash Ensemble, Lionel Friend – The Great Journey : Nights Mask : Fugu(CD, Album)	1996	NMC (3)
17	Quatrain, Memorial, Hidden Variables, Machines & Dreams(CD, Album)	1996	Collins Classics
18	Nicholas Unwin, Michael Tippett, Robert Saxton, Colin Matthews, Constant Lambert – 20th Century British Piano Music(CD, Album)	1995	Metier
19	Colin Matthews, London Sinfonietta, Oliver Knussen – Broken symmetry / Suns dance / Fourth Sonata	1995	Deutsche Grammophon
20	Messiaen, Matthews – Mystic: The Musical Visions of Olivier Messiaen / Broken Symmetry: Oliver Knussen Conducts Music Of Colin Matthews(Cassette, Single, Promo)	1995	Deutsche Grammophon
21	Anthony Goldstone - Berkeley, Bridge, Britten, Ireland, Matthews, Stevenson – The Britten Connection(CD, )	1991	Gamut Classics
22	The Great Journey, Fuga, Night's Mask(CD, Album)	1991	Virgin Classics Digital
23	Colin Matthews, Alexander Baillie, London Sinfonietta / Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, John Carewe – Cello Concerto / Sonata No.5 'Landscape'(LP)	1986	Unicorn-Kanchana
24	Franz Schubert, London Festival Orchestra, Colin Matthew – Symphonie Nr. 5 / Symphonie Nr. 8 »Unvollendete«	1985	Sonocord
25	Colin Matthews, Divertimenti Ensemble – Divertimento, Oboe Quartet, Triptych(LP, Stereo)	1985	Auracle Records
26	Holst - Felicity Palmer, Philip Langridge, Stephen Varcoe, Richard Hickox Singers, Colin Matthews, Patrizia Kwella, City Of London Sinfonia, Richard Hickox – Sāvitri / The Dream-City	1983	Hyperion
27	Carl Davis (5), Daryl Runswick, Dominic Muldowney, Jonathan Harvey, Evelyn Glennie, Malcolm Arnold, Peter Sculthorpe, Colin Matthews, George Benjamin, Benjamin Britten – Profiles - Themes - Atmospheres(CD, Album, Stereo)	-	Faber Music
28	Debussy, Hallé, Colin Matthews, Sir Mark Elder – The Debussy Preludes(2×CD, Album, Compilation)	-	Hallé Concerts Society

Videos featuring Colin Matthews

Messiaen: Concert à quatre (1990-1991) - 2. Vocalise

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group

Messiaen: Concert à quatre (1990-1991) - 2. Vocalise · Catherine Cantin · Heinz Holliger · Yvonne Loriod · Mstislav Rostropovich · Orchestre de l'Opéra Bastille · Myung Whun Chung

Messiaen: Concert à