Andrew Matthews-Owen

Andrew Matthews-Owen has established himself as a collaborative pianist deeply engaged with contemporary repertoire while also maintaining an active profile as a solo recitalist, educator, and vocal coach. Born in Neath, Wales, around 1977, he was already 31 when a 2009 WalesOnline profile noted his age. Piano and cello lessons during his youth preceded his 1996 enrollment at Cardiff University, after which he pursued a master’s degree at London’s Royal Academy of Music, completing it in 2003 and later receiving an honorary-associate designation. Among his instructors were Eugene Asti, Roger Vignoles, and Christine Croshaw, the last of whom he has singled out as a formative influence. Early recognition came through several prizes that facilitated his London career, among them the Sir Henry Richardson Award for Accompanists, the Elisabeth Schumann Lieder Prize, the John Ireland Trust Prize, and the Ryan Davies Memorial Award; he is additionally a recipient of the Welsh Music Guild’s Outstanding Achievement in Music in Wales honor. A 2010 Naxos recording found him supporting various singers in vocal works by Welsh composer Alun Hoddinott, underscoring an early advocacy for that composer’s music.

His specialization in vocal accompaniment has led to partnerships with singers such as Claire Booth, Susan Bickley, and Nicky Spence. These collaborations have brought repeat engagements at prominent London halls, including both the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room at Southbank Centre as well as Wigmore Hall. A growing focus on new music has resulted in numerous world premieres, among them pieces by Michael Berkeley, Charlotte Bray, and Augusta Read Thomas. Matthews-Owen also appears and records as a solo pianist; a 2017 release featured works by Joseph Phibbs, Hannah Kendall, and Dobrinka Tabakova. In 2019 he returned on the Nimbus label, joining Booth and Bickley for an album of songs by Debussy, Fauré, Satie, and Jonathan Dove. He serves on the faculty of the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London and is regularly engaged as a vocal coach.