Matthew Jones (classical musician)
Encyclopedia
Matthew Jones is a British violist
, violin
ist and composer
primarily known for his international performance work as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. He also holds two music Professorships and runs an in-demand performance health consultancy practice. He is fluent in Italian.
from the University of Warwick
, he studied violin at the Royal College of Music
in London and viola privately with violist Rivka Golani
.
" and winner of the prize for the most promising British entrant at the 2003 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition
, Jones is violist of the Bridge Duo (viola and piano), the Debussy Ensemble (flute, viola and harp
) and violinist with Ensemble MidtVest (an innovative ten-piece ensemble based in Denmark). He can frequently be seen performing in major international concert venues such as the Royal Festival Hall
, the Royal Albert Hall
and Wigmore Hall
in London, Forbidden City Concert Hall
in Beijing and Carnegie Hall
where he made his critically acclaimed US recital debut in 2008.
Jones has commissioned numerous works and given many world and European premieres, and champions neglected viola works through recitals and recordings. He is in demand as a concerto soloist, performing with such orchestras as the RTE National Symphony Orchestra
.
Jones was the only British-based violist to be invited to perform at the 2010 International Viola Congress in Cincinnati, and was also a member of the Badke String Quartet when they won the 2007 Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.
of Viola at Trinity College of Music
, London, and Professor of Violin, Viola and Chamber Music at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Charterhouse International Music Festival. He has given masterclasses in the US at institutions such as Indiana University
and Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and in Malaysia, Australia, Japan and throughout Europe and the UK.
Jones was the inaugural recipient of the RWCMD's William Walton
Fellowship. In addition he is passionate about musical education for younger students through his work with Pro Corda and Aldeburgh Young Musicians.
, Kundalini Yoga
and Performance Wellness. Jones now works worldwide as a consultant to musicians on enhancing performance using these and other methods. His students of the Alexander Technique have included world-renowned conductors and soloists, world champion athletes and several orchestras including the European Union Youth Orchestra. He has presented workshops and seminars on healthy practice for musicians and techniques for enhancing performance at conservatoires in the UK, Europe and the US.
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
primarily known for his international performance work as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. He also holds two music Professorships and runs an in-demand performance health consultancy practice. He is fluent in Italian.
Biography
Jones began studying violin at the age of five. After graduating with a first class degree in mathematicsMathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
from the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
, he studied violin at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
in London and viola privately with violist Rivka Golani
Rivka Golani
Rivka Golani is an Israeli viola player.She has performed as soloist with orchestras including the Boston Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw, BBC Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, Hong Kong Symphony, Singapore Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Tokyo Metropolitan,...
.
Performing career
Hailed by The Strad magazine magazine as "a worthy successor to Lionel TertisLionel Tertis
Lionel Tertis, CBE was an English violist and one of the first viola players to find international fame.Tertis was born in West Hartlepool, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, and initially studied the violin in Leipzig and at the Royal Academy of Music in London...
" and winner of the prize for the most promising British entrant at the 2003 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition
Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition
The Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition is an international music competition for viola players established in 1980 to honor the memory of the English viola virtuoso Lionel Tertis. This triennial event is held at the Erin Arts Centre, Port Erin, Isle of Man...
, Jones is violist of the Bridge Duo (viola and piano), the Debussy Ensemble (flute, viola and harp
Flute, Viola and Harp
Flute, viola and harp are the instruments of a chamber music grouping that have become common through the establishment of ensembles that feature this set of instruments and have enjoyed new compositions written for the set...
) and violinist with Ensemble MidtVest (an innovative ten-piece ensemble based in Denmark). He can frequently be seen performing in major international concert venues such as the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
, the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
and 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...
in London, Forbidden City Concert Hall
Forbidden City Concert Hall
Forbidden City Concert Hall is a multi-purpose venue in Beijing. The name of the venue came from the fact that it is located within in the grounds of the Beijing Zhongshan Park, a vast former imperial garden and now a public park located to the west of the Forbidden City.Aside from its acoustics,...
in Beijing and Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
where he made his critically acclaimed US recital debut in 2008.
Jones has commissioned numerous works and given many world and European premieres, and champions neglected viola works through recitals and recordings. He is in demand as a concerto soloist, performing with such orchestras as the RTE National Symphony Orchestra
RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra
The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra is the concert music orchestra of Raidió Teilifís Éireann...
.
Jones was the only British-based violist to be invited to perform at the 2010 International Viola Congress in Cincinnati, and was also a member of the Badke String Quartet when they won the 2007 Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.
Pedagogy
Jones is ProfessorProfessor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Viola at Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music is one of the London music conservatories, based in Greenwich. It is part of Trinity Laban.The conservatoire is inheritor of elegant riverside buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, designed in part by Sir Christopher Wren...
, London, and Professor of Violin, Viola and Chamber Music at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Charterhouse International Music Festival. He has given masterclasses in the US at institutions such as Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
and Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and in Malaysia, Australia, Japan and throughout Europe and the UK.
Jones was the inaugural recipient of the RWCMD's William Walton
William Walton
Sir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera...
Fellowship. In addition he is passionate about musical education for younger students through his work with Pro Corda and Aldeburgh Young Musicians.
Performance wellness
Inspired by his recovery from a career-threatening repetitive strain injury at the age of 23, Jones developed a keen interest in performers' well-being and trained as a teacher of the Alexander TechniqueAlexander Technique
The Alexander Technique teaches the ability to improve physical postural habits, particularly those that have become ingrained and conditioned responses...
, Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini yoga
Kundalini yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual discipline for developing strength, awareness, character, and consciousness. Practitioners call Kundalini yoga the yoga of awareness because it focuses primarily on practices that expand sensory awareness and intuition in order to raise individual...
and Performance Wellness. Jones now works worldwide as a consultant to musicians on enhancing performance using these and other methods. His students of the Alexander Technique have included world-renowned conductors and soloists, world champion athletes and several orchestras including the European Union Youth Orchestra. He has presented workshops and seminars on healthy practice for musicians and techniques for enhancing performance at conservatoires in the UK, Europe and the US.
Charitable associations
Through his long-term involvement with the Live Music Now! and Lost Chord schemes in the UK, Jones is committed to outreach and community work.Compositions
Jones' work as a composer, transcriber and arranger include:- String Quartet No.1 Deletia (1995, revised 2004)
- Slingshot!, a musical in two acts (book/lyrics by Bethan Jones) premiered by Music Theatre Warwick (1999)
- William WaltonWilliam WaltonSir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera...
: Sonata for Viola and Piano (transcribed from Sonata for Violin and Piano) (2008) - Fantasia on "Roma non fa la stupida stasera" for solo violin (2005)
- Fantasia on "My Welsh Home" for viola solo (2002)
Discography
- Phantasy: English Music for Viola and Piano – The Bridge Duo: Matthew Jones, viola; Michael Hampton, piano; London Independent Records (2006)
-
- Arthur BlissArthur BlissSir Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss, CH, KCVO was an English composer and conductor.Bliss's musical training was cut short by the First World War, in which he served with distinction in the army...
– Sonata for viola and piano (1933) - Frank BridgeFrank BridgeFrank Bridge was an English composer and violist.-Life:Bridge was born in Brighton and studied at the Royal College of Music in London from 1899 to 1903 under Charles Villiers Stanford and others...
– Gondoliera for viola and piano, H. 80 (1907) - Frank Bridge – Meditation for viola and piano, H. 103 (1912)
- Frank Bridge – Allegro appassionato for viola and piano, H. 82 (1908)
- Rebecca Clarke – MorpheusMorpheus (Rebecca Clarke)Morpheus is a composition for viola and piano by the English composer and violist Rebecca Clarke. It was written in 1917 when Clarke was pursuing a performing career in the United States. The piece shows off the impressionistic musical language Clarke had developed, modeled on the music of...
for viola and piano (1917–1918) - York BowenYork BowenEdwin York Bowen was an English composer and pianist. Bowen’s musical career spanned more than fifty years during which time he wrote over 160 works. As well as being a pianist and composer, Bowen was a talented conductor, organist, violist and horn player...
– Phantasy in F major for viola and piano, Op. 54 (1918)- Metamorphoses: The Chamber Music of Hafliði Hallgrímsson; Fidelio Trio (Darragh MorganDarragh MorganDarragh Morgan was born in Belfast in 1974, and is one of London's most sought after interpreters of new music. Darragh has established himself as a soloist of new music giving numerous recitals at , as well as in Prague, Malta, Nicosia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, U.S...
, violin; Robin Michael, cello; Mary Dullea, piano); Matthew Jones, viola; Delphian RecordsDelphian RecordsDelphian Records is a small Edinburgh-based independent classical record label founded in 2000 by two students of the University of Edinburgh, Paul Baxter and Kevin Findlan with start-up funding from two private individuals and support from the Princes Scottish Youth Business Trust.The label has...
(2008)
- Metamorphoses: The Chamber Music of Hafliði Hallgrímsson; Fidelio Trio (Darragh Morgan
- Notes from a Diary for viola and piano, Op. 33 (2005)
- Songs of the Cotton Grass: The Chamber Music of Hilary TannHilary TannHilary Tann is a Welsh composer now based in the United States.Tann holds a degree in music composition from the University of Wales, Cardiff. Her overture, With the Heather and Small Birds, commissioned by the 1994 Cardiff Festival, is her tribute to the land of her birth...
; Matthew Jones (viola and violin) and ensemble; Deux-Elles Records (2008)
- Songs of the Cotton Grass: The Chamber Music of Hilary Tann
- The Walls of Morlais Castle for oboe, viola and cello (1998, 2000)
- Songs of the Cotton Grass for soprano and viola (1999–2005)
- The Cresset Stone, Meditation for solo viola (1993)
- From the Song of Amergin for flute, viola and harp (1995)
- Duo for oboe and viola (1981)
- Nothing Forgotten for violin, cello and piano (1997)
- Sergei ProkofievSergei ProkofievSergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
– Romeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet (Prokofiev)Romeo and Juliet is a ballet by Sergei Prokofiev based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It is one of the most enduringly popular ballets...
, world premiere recording of the complete transcriptions for viola and piano by Vadim BorisovskyVadim BorisovskyVadim Vasilyevich Borisovsky was a Russian violist.Born in Moscow, Borisovsky entered Moscow Conservatory in 1917 studying the violin with Mikhail Press. A year later, on the advice of violist Vladimir Bakaleinikov, Borisovsky turned his attentions to the viola. He studied with Bakaleinikov and...
, Grunes and Jones; Matthew Jones, viola; Rivka GolaniRivka GolaniRivka Golani is an Israeli viola player.She has performed as soloist with orchestras including the Boston Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw, BBC Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, Hong Kong Symphony, Singapore Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Tokyo Metropolitan,...
, viola; Michael Hampton, piano; NaxosNaxos RecordsNaxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest...
(2010) - English Music for Viola – Matthew Jones, viola; Michael Hampton, piano; Naxos 8.572579 (2011)
- Sergei Prokofiev
- Arnold BaxArnold BaxSir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, KCVO was an English composer and poet. His musical style blended elements of romanticism and impressionism, often with influences from Irish literature and landscape. His orchestral scores are noted for their complexity and colourful instrumentation...
– Legend for viola and piano (1929) - Arthur BlissArthur BlissSir Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss, CH, KCVO was an English composer and conductor.Bliss's musical training was cut short by the First World War, in which he served with distinction in the army...
– Intermezzo: Tempo di mazurka for viola and piano; arranged by Watson ForbesWatson ForbesWatson Douglas Buchanan Forbes was a Scottish violist and classical music arranger...
from Piano Quartet in A minor (1915) - Frank BridgeFrank BridgeFrank Bridge was an English composer and violist.-Life:Bridge was born in Brighton and studied at the Royal College of Music in London from 1899 to 1903 under Charles Villiers Stanford and others...
– 4 Pieces for viola and piano; arrangements by Veronica Leigh Jacobs- Berceuse, H. 8 (1901)
- Sérénade, H. 23 (1903)
- Élégie, H. 47 (1904)
- Cradle Song, H. 96 (1910)
- Rebecca Clarke – Viola SonataViola Sonata (Rebecca Clarke)Rebecca Clarke's Viola Sonata is first known of in 1919, when the composer was 23 years old. Clarke had moved to the United States in 1916, after being disowned by her father. She had been supporting herself with some success as a soloist....
(1919) - Theodore Holland (1878–1947) – Suite in D for viola and piano (1935)
- Ralph Vaughan WilliamsRalph Vaughan WilliamsRalph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
– Romance for viola and piano (ca.1914) - William WaltonWilliam WaltonSir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera...
– 2 Pieces (Canzonetta and Scherzetto) for viola and piano (1948, 1950); original for violin and piano; arranged by Matthew Jones- Composers of Wales, premiere recordings of works for violin/viola by Andrew Wilson-Dickson, Enid LuffEnid LuffEnid Luff is a Welsh musician, music educator and composer.-Biography: Luff was born in Ebbw Vale, Wales, and trained as a pianist. She was educated at the University of Wales and Cambridge and graduated with a Master of Arts degree. She took time out from her career for a fimily, and then studied...
, Peter Reynolds, Stephanie Power, Gareth Glyn and Michael Parkin; Composers of Wales (2011) - Chamber Music by Vagn HolmboeVagn HolmboeVagn Gylding Holmboe was a Danish composer and teacher who wrote largely in a neo-classical style.-Life:At the age of 16, Holmboe began formal music training at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen on the recommendation of Carl Nielsen. He studied under Knud Jeppesen and Finn Høffding...
, Ensemble MidtVest; (2011) - York BowenYork BowenEdwin York Bowen was an English composer and pianist. Bowen’s musical career spanned more than fifty years during which time he wrote over 160 works. As well as being a pianist and composer, Bowen was a talented conductor, organist, violist and horn player...
– Viola Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2 / Phantasy, Op. 54, Bridge Duo: Matthew Jones, viola; Michael Hampton, piano; Naxos 8.572580 (2011)
- Composers of Wales, premiere recordings of works for violin/viola by Andrew Wilson-Dickson, Enid Luff
- Sonata No. 1 in C minor for viola and piano, Op. 18 (1905)
- Sonata No. 2 in F major for viola and piano, Op. 22 (1906)
- Phantasy in F major for viola and piano, Op. 54 (1918)
- Arthur Bliss