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Matthew Forbes

Cello

ORCHESTRAL TRIALS

  • Orchestra of Scottish Opera - Principal (2004)
  • Northern Sinfonia - Sub-principal cello (No.4), (2004 – 2005) - Subsequently regular extra
  • Philharmonia Orchestra - No. 5 (2003 – 2006) - Subsequently regular extra
  • City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (2005 – 2006) - Subsequently regular extra
  • Hallé Orchestra (2007 – 2008)
  • Ulster Orchestra (2010)    

ORCHESTRAL
Principal:

  • Philharmonia Orchestra for Music of Today series, Sept. 2009
  • Mid-Wales Opera guest principal cello. (UK tour 2007)
  • Opera Group ensemble: Principal cello for premiere season of Jonathan Dove’s The Enchanted Pig, (Young Vic and Richmond Theatres 2006-7)
  • London Gala Orchestra

Other:

  • Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields - including film recording sessions, tour of Japan (02) and Sounding Out education programme (03)
  • BBC Symphony and Concert Orchestras, (including BBC Proms 2002, 2003, 2004 & 2010)
  • Birmingham Royal Ballet Sinfonia
  • Brighton Philhamonic Orchestra
  • Britten Sinfonia
  • Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
  • City of London Sinfonia
  • Deutsches Film Orchester Babelsburg at the Barbican, London (2006)
  • English Chamber Orchestra
  • English Festival Orchestra
  • English National Opera:
    • Satyagraha
    • Death in Venice
    • La Bohème
    • On the Town
    • Kismet
  • English Sinfonia
  • English Symphony Orchestra
  • Grange Park Opera Orchestra (2002-06)
  • London Soloists Chamber Orchestra
  • Orchestra of the Swan
  • Royal Opera House Orchestra:
    • La Gioconda & The Greek Passion (2004)
    • Cinderella (04/05)
    • Tristan und Isolde (04/05)
    • Royal Gala performance (05)
    • Giselle, La Juive 
    •  J. Parker Young Artists’ concert & session leader for education programmes (06-07)
    •  Swan Lake, Mayerling (07)
  • Manning Camerata (founder member)
  • Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra (including tours of Scandinavia (02) and Germany (06)) 
  • Scottish Chamber Orchestra (sitting no.2)
  • Southbank Sinfonia (extra player, 2003-4 season)

SESSION/RECORDING

  • Isobel Griffiths/Hans Zimmer (2002)
  • Sylvia Addison/Music Solutions (2005/6)
  • Crown Music (Vanessa Brown, vocals) 2007
  • String arranger and cellist for ‘Phatfish’ album Guaranteed (Survivor records 2007)
  • String arranger and regular player for Chappell Music Library/Zomba Music Production Ltd
  • String arranger for Survivor records and Orangeroom Music (since 2006)

  
CHAMBER MUSIC

  •  Czardas Duo with accordionist Ian Watson
    • Supported by the Countess of Munster Recital Trust for 2001/2, commissioning five new works
    • Featured guest performers on BBC Radio 3 (2002)
    • Education work includes Spitalfields and Greenbelt Festivals.
  • Trelawn String Quartet – Quartet-in-Residence at Middlesex 2003-5
    • Used for inaugural season of the Wheeldon Company, Sadler’s Wells (2007).
    • Previous recital venues include Conway Hall, Wigmore Hall, St. James’, Piccadilly, The Stables Milton
      Keynes and Bath Pump Rooms
    • Educational work includes Wigmore Hall nursery programme (2001) and workshops for the Cavatina Chamber Music Trust, Bromley, Westminster and Ealing Music Services.
  • London String Quartet Foundation education project, Organiser and participant 2003
  • Bobby Wellins Quintet - Guests on Jazz album Nine Songs

 
EDUCATION

  • Course director (Advanced, Performer and Intermediate courses) and cello teacher/conductor/member of residential and pastoral staff, Oxford Cello School since 1999
  • Leader of Improvisation, Composition, Songwriting, African drumming and world percussion workshop programmes for the Music Workshop Company
  • Co-ordinator of new Oxford Improvisation summer school (2007)
  • Leader of Performance Skills for non-musicians programme (Music Workshop Company, 2007)
  • Teacher of  cello at Blackheath Conservatoire, London (since 2008)
  • Teacher of cello and chamber music at Uppingham School (2007-2010)
  • Teacher of cello at Winchester College (autumn term 2007)
  • Teacher of cello, double bass and chamber music, St. John’s Beaumont School, Windsor (2001-7)
  • Guitarist, mandolin player and caller for “Ceilidh for Kids” project (London Borough of Bexley) teaching traditional music and dances to schoolchildren. Projects also run in Westminster and Cambridgeshire.

SOLO/OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE:

  • Soloist for John Tavener’s The Protecting Veil, Greenbelt Festival 2009.
  • Cellist and percussionist for Viktoria Hansen’s London concerts 2007 (Favoured Nations production)
  • Deputy cellist for ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ at the London Palladium (2004/5)
  • Concerto soloist and principal cello of Petrus Ensemble (modern instrument Baroque ensemble) April 2005
  • Concerto soloist with Exeter University Chamber Orchestra on tour of France (1999)
  • Regular work as jazz pianist in London, having received tuition from Dominic Alldis
  • Pianist for the Vicky Gambleton Jazz Quartet 

 CONDUCTING

  • Viva orchestra for jazz collaboration, April 2008
  • Exeter University Chamber Orchestra
    • Performance of own orchestration of Rachmaninov’s Two Pieces Op. 2 (2000)
    • Paganini miniatures for Maurice Hasson and the Royal Academy Soloists
    • Yoshimatsu’s Atom Hearts Club Suite for cello orchestra.

FOLK MUSIC EXPERIENCE

  • Regular caller, technician, guitarist, mandolin, harmonica and tin whistles player for folk bands Och Aye, Footloose and Crewneck
  • Guitarist and mandolin player for Irish duo Eirann
  • Mandolin player for Mahler’s Seventh Symphony at the Royal Academy of Music (1997)
  • Tenor Banjo player for Status Cymbal 04/05

EDUCATION
1996 – 2000: Royal Academy of Music; First Class Honours BMus and LRAM teaching diploma. (Teachers Lionel Handy and Philip Sheppard) 
 
AWARDS
F. Ayling Academic Prize (RAM, 1999), Burgess Prize for outstanding academic achievement, Marjorie Laempfert String Quartet Award, Development Award from the Friends of the Royal Academy of Music (2000)
  
SKILLS:
Holder of full UK driving licence and owner of car
French to A-level standard

The information contained in this CV is provided by the client of MAS.
MAS takes no responsibility for its accuracy.

Instruments
Cello, Accordion, Banjo, Bass Guitar, Chamber Organ, Church Organ, Double Bass, Guitar, Harmonica, Improvisation, Mandolin, Organ, Ukulele