Matthew Stiff
Encyclopedia
Matthew William Tansley Stiff (born 13 December 1979 in Grimsby
, North East Lincolnshire
) is a bass singer, formerly with British
vocal group G4
and a former Classic FM
radio presenter.
at age 8. He played in the Cleethorpes
District Youth Orchestra, Kingsway Printers Cleethorpes Band & the Market Rasen
Band. A-level subjects: Music, Psychology
, English literature
, Philosophy
& Cultural beliefs. Grade 8 singing. He studied music at the University of Huddersfield
where he gained BMus (Hons) and a Master's Degree
in Musical Performance. He also earned a Master's Degree
at Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 2003/4.
, Mike Christie, Ben Thapa
and Stiff; started singing together to raise money to help pay for their education. As a group they attended the ITV talent show "The X-Factor
" and although they came second in the competition, signed a £1.5 million record deal with Sony-BMG. Their first album, titled G4
was released in February 2005 and achieved double-platinum status. They went on to produce two more albums: G4 and Friends and G4 Act Three.
After G4 split in April 2007, lead singer Jonathan Ansell admitted that he and Stiff rowed the most.
In June 2009 Matthew Stiff joined Opera North
to appear in the chorus in a production of Don Carlos
.
He will be returning to the Guildhall School of Music to start a 2 year course in Opera in September 2009.
Grimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
, North East Lincolnshire
North East Lincolnshire
North East Lincolnshire is a unitary authority in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, bordering the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire and the administrative county of Lincolnshire...
) is a bass singer, formerly with British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
vocal group G4
G4 (band)
G4 were a four-piece British vocal troupe who first came to prominence when they finished second in ITV's talent show The X Factor in 2004. The members met at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, from which the name G4, standing for "Guildhall 4", derives.-The X Factor:G4 auditioned for the...
and a former 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:...
radio presenter.
Early life
Matthew began playing tromboneTrombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
at age 8. He played in the Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes is a town and unparished area in North East Lincolnshire, England, situated on the estuary of the Humber. It has a population of 31,853 and is a seaside resort.- History :...
District Youth Orchestra, Kingsway Printers Cleethorpes Band & the Market Rasen
Market Rasen
Market Rasen is a town and civil parish within the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies on the River Rase northeast of Lincoln, east of Gainsborough and southwest of Grimsby. According to the 2001 census, it has a population of 3,200....
Band. A-level subjects: Music, Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
, Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
& Cultural beliefs. Grade 8 singing. He studied music at the University of Huddersfield
University of Huddersfield
The University of Huddersfield is a university located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.- History :The University traces its roots back to a Science and Mechanic Institute founded in 1825...
where he gained BMus (Hons) and a Master's Degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Musical Performance. He also earned a Master's Degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
at Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 2003/4.
G4
G4, consisting of Jonathan AnsellJonathan Ansell
Jonathan Mark Ansell is an English singer, formerly the high tenor of the vocal group G4.Jonathan Ansell was born in Bognor Regis in 1982, where both his parents were primary school teachers. Influenced by his mother’s tapes of Pavarotti and the Three Tenors, Jonathan joined the West Sussex Boys'...
, Mike Christie, Ben Thapa
Ben Thapa
Ben Vishala Thapa is a tenor, formerly in the group G4.Ben started singing lessons at 14 and sang in his local church choir. He played the clarinet in an orchestra while at Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge...
and Stiff; started singing together to raise money to help pay for their education. As a group they attended the ITV talent show "The X-Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
" and although they came second in the competition, signed a £1.5 million record deal with Sony-BMG. Their first album, titled G4
G4 (album)
G4 is the self-titled debut album from the vocal group G4, released in 2005. It debuted at the number one spot in the UK Albums Chart on the Mother's Day weekend selling over 245,000 copies in the first week. It became the fastest selling album of 2005...
was released in February 2005 and achieved double-platinum status. They went on to produce two more albums: G4 and Friends and G4 Act Three.
After G4 split in April 2007, lead singer Jonathan Ansell admitted that he and Stiff rowed the most.
After G4
In February 2008 Matthew joined Classic FM and presented on overnights at weekends until June 2009.In June 2009 Matthew Stiff joined Opera North
Opera North
Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays and the Theatre Royal, Newcastle...
to appear in the chorus in a production of Don Carlos
Don Carlos
Don Carlos is a five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French language libretto by Camille du Locle and Joseph Méry, based on the dramatic play Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien by Friedrich Schiller...
.
He will be returning to the Guildhall School of Music to start a 2 year course in Opera in September 2009.
External links
- The G4 section at ClassicalX
- Classic FM Show Classic FM Show