Matthew Schellhorn is a prominent performer of new music, with several works written for or dedicated to him. He has given numerous world and territorial premieres.
During 2008, he was a Park Lane Group Featured Young Artist, which led to performing in premieres of works by Peter Wiegold and Nicola LeFanu at the Southbank Centre.
In 2009, to celebrate the Haydn bicentenary, he commissioned a set of six pieces from Tim Watts, Michael Zev Gordon, Cecilia McDowall, Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Colin Riley, and Jeremy Thurlow; the set, called Homage to Haydn, received its world premiere in the 2009 Cambridge Music Festival and was published later in Muso magazine.
During 2010, he collaborated with the award-winning Ossian Ensemble in appearances at the Sounds New Festival in Canterbury and the newly established Kew Music Festival. Works performed included Bent Sørensen’s The Deserted Churchyards, Peter Maxwell Davies’s Missa super l’Homme armé and Eight Songs for a Mad King, and the world premiere of Patrick Nunn’s Isochronous.
2012 has seen numerous UK and world premieres, including of The shadow of the blackbird by David Bruce in Bath and Steel-grey splinters by Gráinne Mulvey and Eight Studies by Nicola LeFanu in Ireland.
Matthew is currently recording two discs of new music – chamber works by Pat Nunn (with percussionist Sarah Cresswell and violinist Maria Oldak) and Stations by Ian Wilson.
Read more about Matthew Schellhorn's premieres and commissions:
Ian Wilson Flags and Emblems
WORLD PREMIERE 2012
Nicola LeFanu Eight Studies
World Premiere 2012
own commission
Gráinne Mulvey Steel-grey Splinters
World Premiere 2012
own commission
Siobhán Cleary (b. 1970) Chaconne (2008)
UK PREMIERE 2012
Linda Buckley (b. 1979) zone (2006)
UK PREMIERE 2012
Ian Wilson Lim
Northern Ireland Premiere 2012
Simon Smith Elegy
World Premiere 2012
David Bruce The shadow of the blackbird
UK Premiere 2012
Alina Piechowska-Pascal Fresque
Irish Premiere 2011 16/11/2011 Kevin Barry Room, National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland
Wavetrain: Nathalie Forget (ondes Martenot), Matthew Schellhorn (piano)
Yassen Vodenitcharov Piece cinétique. Hommage à Jesùs Soto
European Premiere 2011 16/11/2011 Kevin Barry Room, National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland
Wavetrain: Nathalie Forget (ondes Martenot), Matthew Schellhorn (piano)
Nguyen-Thien Dao Bâi-Tâp
Irish Premiere 2011 16/11/2011 Kevin Barry Room, National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland
UK Premiere 2011 25/11/2011 13:10 Roberts Room, Floor 3, Lecture Centre, Brunel University, UB8 3PH, GBR
Wavetrain: Nathalie Forget (ondes Martenot), Matthew Schellhorn (piano)
Rika Suzuki L'égrenée
European Premiere 2011 16/11/2011 Kevin Barry Room, National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland
Wavetrain: Nathalie Forget (ondes Martenot), Matthew Schellhorn (piano)
Siobhán Cleary The Whitening
World Premiere 2011 19/11/2011 21:30 The Model, Sligo, IRL
UK Premiere 2011 25/11/2011 13:10 Roberts Room, Floor 3, Lecture Centre, Brunel University, UB8 3PH, GBR
French Premiere 2011 26/1/2012 20:00 9ème Semaine du Son: Conservatoire de Musique et d'Art Dramatique, 8 rue Jules Cardock, 59640 Dunkerque, FRA
Wavetrain: Nathalie Forget (ondes Martenot), Matthew Schellhorn (piano)
Miyuki Ito La transparencia del espacio
European Premiere 2011 25/11/2011 13:10 Roberts Room, Floor 3, Lecture Centre, Brunel University, UB8 3PH, GBR
Wavetrain: Nathalie Forget (ondes Martenot), Matthew Schellhorn (piano)
Wojciech Kosma Piano Sonata No. 1
World Premiere 2011
Patrick Nunn Isochronos
World Premiere 2010
Jeremy Thurlow Unbidden Visions
World Premiere 2009
Homage to Haydn
Tim Watts Odd Sympathies
Colin Riley weave
Cecilia McDowall Haydn Seek
Cheryl Frances-Hoad Stolen Rhythm
Michael Zev Gordon Innocente
Jeremy Thurlow Butterfly
World Premiere 2009
own commission
Nicola LeFanu Sea Sketches
World Premiere 2008
Peter Wiegold Aulos
World Premiere 2008
Ian Wilson Limena (version for piano and string quartet)
World Premiere 2007
own commission
Ian Wilson Verschwindend
UK Premiere 2007
Jane O'Leary From the crest of a green wave
UK Premiere 2007
Ian Wilson Stations
World Premieres 2007–8 (Books 1–4), 2009 (complete)
David Bruce Berimbau
World Premiere 2007
Tim Watts Two Scherzos
World Premiere 2004
own commission
Jeremy Thurlow The Will of the Tones
World Premiere 2003
During 2008, he was a Park Lane Group Featured Young Artist, which led to performing in premieres of works by Peter Wiegold and Nicola LeFanu at the Southbank Centre.
In 2009, to celebrate the Haydn bicentenary, he commissioned a set of six pieces from Tim Watts, Michael Zev Gordon, Cecilia McDowall, Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Colin Riley, and Jeremy Thurlow; the set, called Homage to Haydn, received its world premiere in the 2009 Cambridge Music Festival and was published later in Muso magazine.
During 2010, he collaborated with the award-winning Ossian Ensemble in appearances at the Sounds New Festival in Canterbury and the newly established Kew Music Festival. Works performed included Bent Sørensen’s The Deserted Churchyards, Peter Maxwell Davies’s Missa super l’Homme armé and Eight Songs for a Mad King, and the world premiere of Patrick Nunn’s Isochronous.
2012 has seen numerous UK and world premieres, including of The shadow of the blackbird by David Bruce in Bath and Steel-grey splinters by Gráinne Mulvey and Eight Studies by Nicola LeFanu in Ireland.
Matthew is currently recording two discs of new music – chamber works by Pat Nunn (with percussionist Sarah Cresswell and violinist Maria Oldak) and Stations by Ian Wilson.
Read more about Matthew Schellhorn's premieres and commissions:
Ian Wilson Flags and Emblems
WORLD PREMIERE 2012
Nicola LeFanu Eight Studies
World Premiere 2012
own commission
Gráinne Mulvey Steel-grey Splinters
World Premiere 2012
own commission
Siobhán Cleary (b. 1970) Chaconne (2008)
UK PREMIERE 2012
Linda Buckley (b. 1979) zone (2006)
UK PREMIERE 2012
Ian Wilson Lim
Northern Ireland Premiere 2012
Simon Smith Elegy
World Premiere 2012
David Bruce The shadow of the blackbird
UK Premiere 2012
Alina Piechowska-Pascal Fresque
Irish Premiere 2011 16/11/2011 Kevin Barry Room, National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland
Wavetrain: Nathalie Forget (ondes Martenot), Matthew Schellhorn (piano)
Yassen Vodenitcharov Piece cinétique. Hommage à Jesùs Soto
European Premiere 2011 16/11/2011 Kevin Barry Room, National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland
Wavetrain: Nathalie Forget (ondes Martenot), Matthew Schellhorn (piano)
Nguyen-Thien Dao Bâi-Tâp
Irish Premiere 2011 16/11/2011 Kevin Barry Room, National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland
UK Premiere 2011 25/11/2011 13:10 Roberts Room, Floor 3, Lecture Centre, Brunel University, UB8 3PH, GBR
Wavetrain: Nathalie Forget (ondes Martenot), Matthew Schellhorn (piano)
Rika Suzuki L'égrenée
European Premiere 2011 16/11/2011 Kevin Barry Room, National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland
Wavetrain: Nathalie Forget (ondes Martenot), Matthew Schellhorn (piano)
Siobhán Cleary The Whitening
World Premiere 2011 19/11/2011 21:30 The Model, Sligo, IRL
UK Premiere 2011 25/11/2011 13:10 Roberts Room, Floor 3, Lecture Centre, Brunel University, UB8 3PH, GBR
French Premiere 2011 26/1/2012 20:00 9ème Semaine du Son: Conservatoire de Musique et d'Art Dramatique, 8 rue Jules Cardock, 59640 Dunkerque, FRA
Wavetrain: Nathalie Forget (ondes Martenot), Matthew Schellhorn (piano)
Miyuki Ito La transparencia del espacio
European Premiere 2011 25/11/2011 13:10 Roberts Room, Floor 3, Lecture Centre, Brunel University, UB8 3PH, GBR
Wavetrain: Nathalie Forget (ondes Martenot), Matthew Schellhorn (piano)
Wojciech Kosma Piano Sonata No. 1
World Premiere 2011
Patrick Nunn Isochronos
World Premiere 2010
Jeremy Thurlow Unbidden Visions
World Premiere 2009
Homage to Haydn
Tim Watts Odd Sympathies
Colin Riley weave
Cecilia McDowall Haydn Seek
Cheryl Frances-Hoad Stolen Rhythm
Michael Zev Gordon Innocente
Jeremy Thurlow Butterfly
World Premiere 2009
own commission
Nicola LeFanu Sea Sketches
World Premiere 2008
Peter Wiegold Aulos
World Premiere 2008
Ian Wilson Limena (version for piano and string quartet)
World Premiere 2007
own commission
Ian Wilson Verschwindend
UK Premiere 2007
Jane O'Leary From the crest of a green wave
UK Premiere 2007
Ian Wilson Stations
World Premieres 2007–8 (Books 1–4), 2009 (complete)
David Bruce Berimbau
World Premiere 2007
Tim Watts Two Scherzos
World Premiere 2004
own commission
Jeremy Thurlow The Will of the Tones
World Premiere 2003
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Schellhorn was in his element, letting the pedalled chords float and calibrating the interplay between darkness and light with fastidious care.
The Independent
... not a nuance was left unexpressed, not a silence given less than its due importance, not an emotional pivot-point neglected.
MusicWeb International