Charles Matthews

Biography

Born in 1966, Charles Matthews studied at the Royal College of Music, London, and was an organ scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge. His teachers have included Beryl Tichbon, Gwilym Isaac, David Pettit, Patricia Carroll, Nicholas Danby, Charles Spinks, and Dr Richard Marlow.

Charles has won numerous awards, perhaps most notably first prize in the 1999 Franz Liszt Organ Interpretation Competition in Budapest. His most recent solo recording is of Francis Routh’s cycle The Well-Tempered Pianist; some tracks from this CD can be heard free of charge at the composer's website. June 2017 saw the release of Subito, a CD of works for violin and piano performed with Julia Hwang.

Recent engagements have included solo performances in the UK, Spain and Greece, duo recitals with flute, recorder, violin, cello and voice, as well as in his piano duet partnership with Lynn Arnold, work for BBC Radio 3, and also numerous performances with ensembles and with choirs.

Charles has performed for productions by the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet, and recorded music used in various theatres in Spain. A collection of his compositions for flute and piano was published in 2006 by Schott.

Charles is organist of St Catharine's Church, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, and also contributes to the Spire organ and electronics project. He works extensively with young people, acts as piano accompanist and organ tutor at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and works as a coach on the annual Curso Internacional Matisse in El Escorial and Segovia, Spain. He has recently been appointed Conductor of the Chipping Campden Festival Chorus and Patron of Shipston Music Society.

Charles is married with three children.