B I O G R A P H Y
​
Matthew Brown is a British composer, born in 1985 in Kent, United Kingdom. His compositional style is often described as tonal and ranges from dark and subdued, expansive and lush, to alight with energy. Many of his most recent works have been influenced by world music, dance music and jazz. His works range from small to large forces, including solo instruments and chamber ensembles, octets, wind bands, big bands and symphony orchestras. A violist himself, Matthew has written an extensive list of works championing the viola, including multiple viola works written for and premiered by British violist Martin Outram. Matthew is also influenced by his chromesthesia, which means that he is able to 'see' music in colour, for which he associates each pitch with its own unique shade.
His works are regularly programmed with recent performance venues including Bridgewater Hall, Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room, 1901 Arts Club and Maida Vale Studios. Notable performances of works include Death Song (2012) for BBC Singers; Longing (2019) performed by Gwilym Simcock (piano), Rob Buckland (saxophone) and BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and RNCM; Masquerade (2021) for Manchester Camerata; Coast (2021) for the BBC Philharmonic and Feeling Free (2023) which was premiered by the Band of the RAF College at the National Concert Band Festival.
​
A catalogue of Matthew's works have been published by Universal Edition, Hafabra Music, Brookwright Music and Larch Music.
Matthew read music at Canterbury Christ Church University under Prof. Roderick Watkins and was later awarded a scholarship by the Richard Newitt and Radcliffe trusts to study for a Master of Music in Composition at the Royal Northern College of Music under Prof. Adam Gorb and Paul Patterson.
In 2024, Matthew was awarded his PhD in composition at RNCM, focusing on Balancing Idealism and Pragmatism in Composition for Wind Bands and Wind Ensembles, with Adam Gorb and Paul Patterson as his supervisors.
His PhD thesis can be found here.
​
Matthew is a tutor of composition and was a graduate teaching assistant in the final year of his PhD at RNCM.
