Biography

Taylor was born in London in 1964. He attended the Junior Royal Academy of Music

Royal Academy of Music

The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...

. He studeid composition with Robin Holloway

Robin Holloway

Robin Greville Holloway is an English composer.-Early life:From 1952 to 1957, he was a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral...

 at Queens' College, Cambridge University

Queens' College, Cambridge

Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou , and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville...

 and later at Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...

 and at the Royal Academy of Music

Royal Academy of Music

The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...

. He later continued his composition training with Robert Simpson and Sir Malcolm Arnold

Malcolm Arnold

Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold, CBE was an English composer and symphonist.Malcolm Arnold began his career playing trumpet professionally, but by age thirty his life was devoted to composition. He was ranked with Benjamin Britten as one of the most sought-after composers in Britain...

. As a conductor he trained with Robin Page, Vilem Tausky and with Leonard Bernstein

Leonard Bernstein

Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...

 at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik festival.

Taylor appeared as Guest Conductor with the English Chamber Orchestra

English Chamber Orchestra

The English Chamber Orchestra is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and the ECO Ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall...

, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is an English orchestra. Originally based in Bournemouth, the BSO moved its offices to the adjacent town of Poole in 1979....

, City of London Sinfonia

City of London Sinfonia

The City of London Sinfonia is an English chamber orchestra based in London. In London, the CLS performs regularly at Cadogan Hall and St Paul's Cathedral. It is also the resident orchestra at Opera Holland Park. The CLS has annual residencies in four towns in Southern England: Ipswich, King's...

, Royal Ballet Sinfonia, European Community Chamber Orchestra and St Petersburg State Academic Orchestra and has recorded for Hyperion and the Dutton. Matthew Taylor has conducted the first performance of pieces by Robert Simpson, Vagn Holmboe, David Matthews and James Francis Brown.

Taylor's compositions have been performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra

BBC Symphony Orchestra

The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...

, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is a broadcasting symphony orchestra based in Glasgow, Scotland. One of five full-time orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation , it is the oldest full-time professional orchestra in Scotland...

, John McCabe

John McCabe (composer)

John McCabe CBE is an English composer and pianist.- Biography :John McCabe was born in Huyton, Liverpool, Merseyside. A prolific composer from an early age, he had written thirteen symphonies by the time he was eleven...

, Martyn Brabbins

Martyn Brabbins

Martyn Brabbins is a British conductor. He studied at Goldsmiths College, London University, and later was a conducting student of Ilya Musin at the Leningrad Conservatory....

, George Hurst

George Hurst

George Hurst is a British conductor.-Biography:Born in Edinburgh in 1926, Hurst studied at Bishops College School in Lennoxville, Quebec and the Royal Conservatory in Toronto Canada....

, Richard Watkins and Raphael Wallfisch.He has been Artistic Director of the Malvern Festival, Composer in Residence at the Blackheath Halls, Associate Composer of ensemble Sound Collective

Sound Collective

-History:The Sound Collective is an orchestra founded in 2003 by a group of professional musicians who were already members of professional orchestras, including the Philharmonia, London Symphony, English National Opera, RTÉ Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic and the Royal Ballet Sinfonia as a...

, Artistic Director of the Royal Tunbridge Wells International Music Festival andArtistic Director of the St Petersburg British Music Festival.

Taylor was a lecturer in composition at the Royal Academy of Music

Royal Academy of Music

The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...

 and currently teaches composition at the Junior Academy.

Selected compositions

Matthew Taylor's works are published by Edition Peters

Edition Peters

Edition Peters, also known as C.F.Peters Musikverlag, is a German music publishing house, founded in Leipzig in 1800.From the 1860s it was largely run by members the Hinrichsen family, who were Jewish. The company was confiscated by the Nazis and administered by the "Trustee of Jewish Property"....

.

Orchestral

• Symphony No.1 Sinfonia Brevis, Op.2 (1985)
• Lento for string orchestra, Op.3 (1988, revised 1992)
• In Spring, Op.4 (1989)
• Symphony No.2, Op.10 (1991, revised 1997 and 2008)
• Adagio for string orchestra (1998)
• The Needles, Op.26 (2000)
• Symphony No.3, Op.33 (2004)
• Romanza for string orchestra, Op.36b (2006)

Band

• Blasket Dances for symphonic wind ensemble, Op.24 (2001)

Concertante

• Piano Concerto, Op.13 (1992)
• Clarinet Concerto, Op.20 (1996)
• Horn Concerto, Op.23 (1999, revised 2004)
• Double Bass Concerto, Op.31 (2003)

Chamber music

• String Quartet No.1, Op.1 (1984)
• Three Humoreskes for clarinet and piano, Op.5 (1989)
• Introduction and Capriccio for wind octet (2 oboes, 2clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns), Op.7 (1990)
• String Quartet No.2, Op.8 (1990)
• Prelude, Meditation and Toccata for marimba (1991)
• Violin Sonata, Op.12 (1992, revised 1994)
• A July Pastoral for horn solo (1992) or for English horn (1993)
• Night Visions for clarinet, violin, cello and piano, Op.14 (1993)
• The Third Vision for oboe, horn, violin, cello and piano, Op.14 No.3a (1997)
• Images in Spring for flute (piccolo) and piano, Op.16 (1993)
• Piano Trio, Op.17 (1994)
• A June Cantilena for clarinet solo (1995)
• String Quartet No.3, Op.18 (1995)
• Conflict and Consolation for 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani and percussion, Op.19 (1996)
• Romanza for cello and piano (1997)
• Trio - In Memoriam V.H. for flute (alto flute), viola and cello, Op.21 (1997)
• String Quartet No.4, Op.22 (1999)
• Four Lullabies for violin, viola, cello and piano, Op.27 (2001)
• Adagio - Tribute to R.S. for string quartet, Op.28 (1998)
• Cello Sonata, Op.29 (2002)
• Fantasy Pieces for cello (or viola) and piano, Op.30 (2002)
• Pastorals for violin and piano, Op.32 (2003)
• Skal for wind quintet (2004)
• Serenata Trionfale for wind octet (2 oboes, 2clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns), Op.34 (2006)
• String Quartet No.5, Op.35 (2007)
• String Quartet No.6, Op.36 (2008)
• String Quartet No.7, Op.37 (2009)
• Trombone Quartet, Op.38 (2009)

Piano

• Anniversaries and Intermezzos (1990–1998, revised 1999)
• Four Bagatellas, Op.6 (1989)
• Wassail for 4-hands, Op.15 (1993)

Vocal

• Three Rupert Brooke Songs for mezzo-soprano and piano or orchestra (1995)
• A Christmas Blessing for mixed chorus (1998)
• Four Pope Epigrams for soprano, counter-tenor, cello and harpsichord, Op.25 (1999)
• Bright is the Ring of Words for high voice and piano (2001)