Matthew Schellhorn
Encyclopedia
Matthew Schellhorn is a British pianist
.
Selected as a 'Talent to Watch' for 2007 by BBC Music Magazine
, and described as 'a rising star' (BBC Radio 3
) and 'one of Britain's most exciting young pianists' (Classic FM
), Matthew Schellhorn has a growing international career, which in recent seasons has seen recitals in Europe
, Ireland
and North America.
in Manchester
, where his teachers included David Hartigan, Maria Curcio
, and Ryszard Bakst
. He later read Music at the University of Cambridge
, and while there, he studied with Peter Hill. Later, he studied privately in Paris with Yvonne Loriod
.
, the Windsor Festival, the Hertford Music Festival, the Presteigne Festival of Music and the Arts, Sounds New in Canterbury, the Kew Music Festival, and the Britten Sinfonia–BBC Radio 3 'Tippett 2005' festival in Cambridge. He has given solo recitals in many major venues throughout the UK, including the Wigmore Hall
, Purcell Room
and St Martin-in-the-Fields
in London, the Adrian Boult Hall in Birmingham, the Jack Djanogly Recital Hall in Nottingham, the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall in York, the Huntingdon Hall in Worcester, West Road Concert Hall in Cambridge, the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building in Oxford, and the De Montfort Hall in Leicester. He has given live solo performances on BBC Radio 3, and in 2005 he was featured on Classic FM's The Guest List.
Recent concerto performances have included appearances with the London Mozart Players
(St John's, Smith Square, London), sinfonia ViVA
(The Assembly Rooms, Derby), and Cambridge University Chamber Orchestra (West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge). He has worked with numerous conductors, including Jane Glover, Peter Stark, Russell Keable, David Hill, Andrew Fardell, Stephen Cleobury and Baldur Brönnimann.
The past few seasons have also seen chamber performances with pianist Peter Hill, soprano Lynette Alcántara, flautists Kathryn Thomas and Louisa Dennehy, clarinettists Peter Sparks and Catriona Scott, bassoonist Shelly Organ, cellists Gemma Rosefield and Rosie Biss, and the Fitzwilliam Quartet.
His acclaimed solo recital at London’s Southbank Centre in 2006 confirmed his status as the pre-eminent Messiaen interpreter of his generation in Britain. Following his performances at the age of twenty of Vingt regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus in Cambridge, he was invited in 2002 to perform at the Messiaen International Conference, where Christopher Dingle of BBC Music Magazine described one solo recital as ‘a cherished memory for those privileged enough to experience it’.
The most recent endorsement comes from Messiaen’s wife and dedicatee, who has described Matthew as ‘an excellent pianist and an excellent exponent’, and has praised his playing as ‘in every way wonderful … accuracy, rhythm, sonority, technique, emotion … everything is played as Messiaen wished it.’
During the 2008 Messiaen centenary, Matthew Schellhorn was involved in numerous performances of Messiaen’s music. In the UK, he was be guest soloist in performances of Trois petites Liturgies de la Présence Divine
and Turangalîla-Symphonie
under Stephen Cleobury and Baldur Brönnimann. He also took part in the ‘Festival Messiaen au Pays de la Meije’ in France.
His new disc with the Soloists of the Philharmonia Orchestra (Messiaen: Chamber Works) was released in July 2008 by Signum Classics.
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
.
Selected as a 'Talent to Watch' for 2007 by BBC Music Magazine
BBC music magazine
BBC Music Magazine is a magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom by BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the BBC. Reflecting the broadcast output of BBC Radio 3, the magazine is devoted primarily to classical music, though with sections on jazz and world music. Each edition comes...
, and described as 'a rising star' (BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
) and 'one of Britain's most exciting young pianists' (Classic FM
Classic FM (UK)
Classic FM, one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations, broadcasts classical music in a popular and accessible style.-Overview:...
), Matthew Schellhorn has a growing international career, which in recent seasons has seen recitals in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and North America.
Education
Schellhorn studied at Chetham's School of MusicChetham's School of Music
Chetham's School of Music , familiarly known as "Chets", is a specialist independent co-educational music school, situated in Manchester city centre, in North West England. It was established in 1969, incorporating Chetham's Hospital School, founded as a charity school by Humphrey Chetham in 1653...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, where his teachers included David Hartigan, Maria Curcio
Maria Curcio
Maria Curcio was an Italian classical pianist who became renowned as a greatly influential and sought-after teacher. Her students included Martha Argerich, Radu Lupu, Dame Mitsuko Uchida, Leon Fleisher and Geoffrey Tozer...
, and Ryszard Bakst
Ryszard Bakst
Ryszard Bakst was a Polish and British pianist and piano teacher of Jewish/Polish/Russian origin.Bakst was a descendant of the Russian artist Leon Bakst...
. He later read Music at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, and while there, he studied with Peter Hill. Later, he studied privately in Paris with Yvonne Loriod
Yvonne Loriod
Yvonne Loriod was a French pianist, teacher, and composer, and the second wife of composer Olivier Messiaen. Her sister was the Ondes Martenot player Jeanne Loriod.-Life:...
.
Career highlights
Schellhorn has been guest soloist at several international festivals, including the Three Choirs FestivalThree Choirs Festival
The Three Choirs Festival is a music festival held each August alternately at the cathedrals of the Three Counties and originally featuring their three choirs, which remain central to the week-long programme...
, the Windsor Festival, the Hertford Music Festival, the Presteigne Festival of Music and the Arts, Sounds New in Canterbury, the Kew Music Festival, and the Britten Sinfonia–BBC Radio 3 'Tippett 2005' festival in Cambridge. He has given solo recitals in many major venues throughout the UK, including the Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
, Purcell Room
Purcell Room
The Purcell Room is a concert and performance venue which forms part of the Southbank Centre, one of central London's leading cultural complexes. It is named after the 17th century English composer Henry Purcell and has 370 seats....
and St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields is an Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Its patron is Saint Martin of Tours.-Roman era:Excavations at the site in 2006 led to the discovery of a grave dated about 410...
in London, the Adrian Boult Hall in Birmingham, the Jack Djanogly Recital Hall in Nottingham, the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall in York, the Huntingdon Hall in Worcester, West Road Concert Hall in Cambridge, the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building in Oxford, and the De Montfort Hall in Leicester. He has given live solo performances on BBC Radio 3, and in 2005 he was featured on Classic FM's The Guest List.
Recent concerto performances have included appearances with the London Mozart Players
London Mozart Players
The London Mozart Players is a British chamber orchestra founded in 1949. The LMP is the longest-established chamber orchestra in the United Kingdom whose performances and recordings focus largely on the core repertoire from the Classical era...
(St John's, Smith Square, London), sinfonia ViVA
Sinfonia ViVA
Sinfonia ViVA is a British orchestra based in Derby, United Kingdom, a professional orchestra in the East Midlands. Sinfonia ViVA gives concerts in a number of cities and venues, including the following:* Cleethorpes * Derby...
(The Assembly Rooms, Derby), and Cambridge University Chamber Orchestra (West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge). He has worked with numerous conductors, including Jane Glover, Peter Stark, Russell Keable, David Hill, Andrew Fardell, Stephen Cleobury and Baldur Brönnimann.
The past few seasons have also seen chamber performances with pianist Peter Hill, soprano Lynette Alcántara, flautists Kathryn Thomas and Louisa Dennehy, clarinettists Peter Sparks and Catriona Scott, bassoonist Shelly Organ, cellists Gemma Rosefield and Rosie Biss, and the Fitzwilliam Quartet.
New music
SMatthew Schellhorn is a prominent performer of new music, with several works written for, or dedicated to, him, including The Will of the Tones by Jeremy Thurlow, Two Scherzos by Tim Watts, Berimbau by David Bruce, and Stations by Ian Wilson. Composers with whom he has worked include Hugh Wood, Robin Holloway, Alexander Goehr, Jeremy Thurlow, Cecilia McDowall, Ian Wilson, James Francis Brown, John Hawkins, Adrian Williams, Lloyd Moore, Gabriel Jackson, Jane O'Leary, Kenneth Hesketh, Joe Duddell, David Bruce, Patrick Nunn, Peter Wiegold, Tim Watts, Michael Zev Gordon, Colin Riley, Cheryl Frances-Hoad, and Nicola LeFanu. He has given numerous world and territorial premieres, most recently of Stations, a major new work written for him by Irish composer Ian Wilson. During 2008, he was a featured Park Lane Group Featured Young Artist, which resulted in giving premieres of works (with clarinettist Peter Sparks) by Peter Wiegold and Nicola LeFanu at the Southbank Centre. In 2009, he commissioned a set of six pieces to celebrate the Haydn bicentenary, which was published in Muso magazine. The composers involved in this project were Tim Watts, Michael Zev Gordon, Cecilia McDowall, Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Colin Riley, and Jeremy Thurlow. During 2010, he collaborated with the award-winning Ossian Ensemble in appearances at the Sounds New Festival in Canterbury and the newly established Kew Music Festival. Works performed included Bent Sørensen’s The Deserted Churchyards, Peter Maxwell Davies’s Missa super l’Homme armé and Eight Songs for a Mad King, and the world premiere of Patrick Nunn’s Isochronous.Messiaen
Matthew Schellhorn’s performances of the music of Olivier Messiaen have been met with superlative critical approval.His acclaimed solo recital at London’s Southbank Centre in 2006 confirmed his status as the pre-eminent Messiaen interpreter of his generation in Britain. Following his performances at the age of twenty of Vingt regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus in Cambridge, he was invited in 2002 to perform at the Messiaen International Conference, where Christopher Dingle of BBC Music Magazine described one solo recital as ‘a cherished memory for those privileged enough to experience it’.
The most recent endorsement comes from Messiaen’s wife and dedicatee, who has described Matthew as ‘an excellent pianist and an excellent exponent’, and has praised his playing as ‘in every way wonderful … accuracy, rhythm, sonority, technique, emotion … everything is played as Messiaen wished it.’
During the 2008 Messiaen centenary, Matthew Schellhorn was involved in numerous performances of Messiaen’s music. In the UK, he was be guest soloist in performances of Trois petites Liturgies de la Présence Divine
Trois petites Liturgies de la Présence Divine
Trois petites liturgies de la présence divine is a piece by Olivier Messiaen for women's voices, piano solo, ondes Martenot, and orchestra , in three movements...
and Turangalîla-Symphonie
Turangalîla-Symphonie
The Turangalîla-Symphonie is a large-scale piece of orchestral music by Olivier Messiaen. It was written from 1946 to 1948, on a commission by Serge Koussevitzky for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The premiere was given by that orchestra on December 2, 1949, conducted by Leonard Bernstein in Boston...
under Stephen Cleobury and Baldur Brönnimann. He also took part in the ‘Festival Messiaen au Pays de la Meije’ in France.
His new disc with the Soloists of the Philharmonia Orchestra (Messiaen: Chamber Works) was released in July 2008 by Signum Classics.