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Our Director

Matthew Manchester

Matthew Manchester became QC's Musical Director in May 2009.  He graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2002 with Honours in a Bachelor of Music (Music Education). In 2007 he completed his Master of Music (Performance), specialising in Baroque Trumpet and researching the trumpet arias of G.F Handel. Matthew was the winner of numerous scholarships for trumpet, including the Margaret Henderson Trust Award at age 17, along with a number of Board of Governors Scholarships whilst studying at the Conservatorium.

As an orchestral and baroque trumpet player, Matthew has performed with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, and as principal trumpet of the Sydney Philharmonia Baroque Ensemble, the Eminence Orchestra, the Conservatorium Chamber Orchestra, and the Sydney Youth Orchestra, touring Italy in 2004. Matthew has a passion for early music and performs regularly as a Baroque Trumpet and Cornetto soloist with the Australian Baroque Brass, and has been featured on recordings and ABC Classic FM broadcasts. In 2008, Matthew moved to the UK to further his Cornetto and Baroque Trumpet studies with teachers including Crispian Steele-Perkins, Michael Laird, Richard Thomas and Jeremy West.

Matthew continues to work in music education in the UK, teaching and tutoring music in both a classroom context, and directing choral programs. When in Australia, Matthew also regularly tutored and conducted for the Sydney Youth Orchestra. He has worked as a chamber music tutor for the Conservatorium High School in Sydney, taught in various High Schools and music institutions including the Australian Institute of Music, and is in demand as a tutor for music camps and workshops.

In addition to his work in brass playing and music education, Matthew is also an established singer and conductor, holding a permanent baritone position with the choir of St James, King St from 2003-2007. As a conductor, Matthew has musically directed numerous operettas and shows and conducts regularly with the Sydney University Symphony Orchestra and the Sydney Youth Orchestra. In 2005, Matthew acted as assistant conductor for the Sydney Youth Orchestra, conducting works including Debussy’s La Mer, and a production of The Rite of Spring with the Queensland Ballet. Matthew was selected to participate in the Symphony Australia Conductor Development Program for 2007, conducting Orchestra Victoria and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.

Matthew has eclectic musical tastes, regularly performing in rock, jazz and classical ensembles. He is also a passionate exponent of the Victorian Music Hall genre, making his debut in 2000 as a cast member of Victoriana!, Australia’s longest running stage show. From humble beginnings singing “I do like to be beside the seaside”, dressed in a striped Victorian one-piece swimsuit, Matthew later assumed the position of Co-Producer and Director of the show from 2005-2007. 

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