 Performer,
Educator, Conductor, Clinician, Salesman, Festival Executive,
Webmaster. Matthew Thompson considers himself a professional
band geek more than any other official title. Since
age 4 he has been playing music, first piano, then guitar,
and eventually settled on Tuba & low brass. For
over 20 years and 4 provinces Matthew has embraced the
Tuba’s unusual place in the musical spectrum,
and has played all musical genres and groups. He studied
Tuba Performance at Capilano College and the University
of British Columbia under Neil Nicholson, Douglas Sparkes,
and Ellis Ween, as well as participated in master classes
by Paul Beauchesne and Chuck Daellenbach.
Throughout his career Matthew has played under the
baton of Wind Band conductors Marty Berinbaum, Glenn
Price, Marc Crompton and Angela Schroeder, Orchestral
conductors Bramwell Tovey, Tania Miller, and Bruce Dunn.
He’s also worked with composers James Curnow,
Howard Cable, Stephen Chatman and Fred Stride, and performers
like Jens Lindemann, Allen Vizzuti, and Robert Silverman.
In 2005, as a member of the Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble,
he had the honor of representing Canada at the World
Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles Conference
in Singapore.
When in Alberta, Matthew switched gears into conducting
& educating. He was co-founder & first Musical
Director of the Athabasca Community Band, now in its
5th season. He also resurrected the music program at
Edwin Parr Composite School, which at the time had been
shut down for over 7 years. Now thriving in grades 8
through 12, the EPC Music Program continues to be a
successful part of the school and the Athabasca community.
Also while living in Alberta, Matthew became involved
in the Music Festival movement, coordinating and organizing
competitive music festivals in the province. He was
Vice President of both the Athabasca & District
Music Festival and the Alberta Music Festival Association.
Now living in Sackville, New Brunswick, Matthew is
looking forward to new musical opportunities here on
the East Coast.
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