Andrew Matthews-Owen is a
Welsh
pianist and
accompanist. He was born at Neath
, Wales
and now
lives in London
Matthews-Owen studied at the University of
Wales, Cardiff
and the Royal Academy of Music
. He is the winner of awards including the
Sir Henry Richardson Award for Accompanists (awarded by
Roger Vignoles), a
Ryan Davies Trust Award, a
John Ireland Trust Award and the
Elisabeth Schumann Prize. He has also
twice been the recipient of an S4C Wales Scholarship and undertaken
private studies with Eugene Asti,
Christine Croshaw and
Roger Vignoles.
He has
performed at numerous major venues, partnering leading young
singers, including the Wigmore Hall
, Purcell
Room
, National Portrait Gallery
, Bath Pump Rooms, St David's Hall
, Lousie T Blouin Institute (on Richard Meier's
iconic Ibach piano) and the Brangwyn Hall
with singers including Claire Booth, Helen Field,
Katie van Kooten, Nicky Spence and
Jeremy Huw Williams. Also
on BBC Television and Radio.
An exponent of the music of distinguished composer
Alun Hoddinott, he premiered the composer's
latest song cycle 'Towy Landscape' for soprano, baritone and piano
duet, written for him through an award from the Welsh Arts Council
and PRS Foundation, in Swansea in September 2006 with soprano
Claire Booth,Welsh baritone Jeremy Huw Williams and fellow pianist
Michael Pollock. The work was given its London Premiere in the
prestigious Cutting Edge series administered by the BMIC, in
December 2007 . He will record a CD of Hoddinott's song cycles in
English with Claire Booth, Nicky Spence, Jeremy Huw Williams and
Michael Pollock in 2009.
On the Cutting Edge Tour 2008/2009 he and Claire Booth will
premiere works being written for them by
Philip Cashian,
Arlene Sierra and
Robert Fokkens. He will also give the UK
Premiere of
Michael Berkeley's
'Songs for Children' in a concert at the
National Portrait Gallery to
remember
Ralph Vaughan
Williams on the 50th anniversary of his death and celebrate
Berkeley's 60th birthday in 2008
Andrew Matthews-Owen is Artistic Director of the Louise Blouin
Concert Series held at the Louise Blouin Foundation, London.
References