Matthew Dewey

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Matthew Dewey
Birth name Matthew Ingvald Dewey
Born October 12, 1984 (1984-10-12) (age 23)
Origin Hobart, Tasmania
Genre(s) Classical
Opera
Theatre
Film
Occupation(s) Composer
Singer
Librettist
Sound Designer
Instrument(s) Singer
Years active 1999 — Present
Website www.matthewdewey.com

Matthew Ingvald Dewey (born 1984) is an Australian composer and singer.

Contents

[edit] General information

Matthew Dewey is an Australian composer[1] [2] and singer[3]. He studied composition with Professor Douglas Knehans at the University of Tasmania and composition/theatrical design/singing with Greek-Australian composer/designer Constantine Koukias. His very early years were spent training with the IHOS Music Theatre Laboratory[4] in the creation of new musical-theatrical works, and this early exposure led to a career that flourished at an unusually young age. He works mostly in Australian contemporary opera/music-theatre and been involved in the premieres of more than 20 new works[5] as a principal performer and singer, and numerous other productions variously as composer, orchestrator, conductor and compositional assistant[6][7]. His own works include operas: 15 Years on Hold[8], The Death of Chatterton[9] (about the life of Thomas Chatterton) and The Priest's Passion[10]; various songs including two cycles utilising text of the esteemed ex-pat South African poet Anne Kellas[11]: "Isolated States", "Notes for mount Moono" and two song suites based on the work of his brother, Australian poet Nicholas Dewey, entitled "Elegy" and "Compass" (The later commissioned and premiered by the Sydney Children's Choir[12]); Chamber works include two pieces written for the Seymour Group: "A Dance on Five Claps" and "Voyage" the later of which was written for the Seymour Group in conjunction with the internationally renowned bass-clarinettist Harry Sparnaay[13]; "Flight and Reverie" which premiered at the University of Hawaii[14] and "Entropic Visions" that was given by Joshua Rubin[15] at the Lincoln Center in New York. Dewey's compositional methodology focuses on the meshing of the natural speech patterns of the English language and his lyrical and iridescent musical voice.

His first symphony (for string orchestra) dealt with emotions surrounding the Port Arthur Massacre[16]. The symphony was inspired by Tasmanian playwright Tom Holloway's play Beyond the Neck[17].

Matthew is also the Founder and Director of the Tasmanian Composers Collective[18] and the Artistic Director of Daylight Robbery Theatricals[19].

[edit] Important Compositions

[edit] Opera

15 Years on Hold – An Opera in One Act. Chamber Opera. Libretto by Matthew Dewey, Nicholas Dewey and Alexander Dick, based on a concept by Matthew Dewey. (Premiere April 4th 2007 @ Playhouse Theatre, Hobart by Daylight Robbery Theatricals, Auspiced by IHOS Music Theatre and Opera. Conducted and Directed by composer, Assistant Director Craig Wood, Featuring Michael Lampard (Baritone), Craig Wood (Baritone), Rainor Trippet (Spoken), Rupert Brennen (Spoken) and Charlea Edwards (Spoken). 40'00"

The Death of Chatterton – A Mythography in One Act for One Man. Libretto by composer on a concept by Robert Jarman, exploring the life of English poet and prodigy Thomas Chatterton. (Workshop premiere @ Mount Nelson Studio Theatre, Hobart by IHOS Music Theatre and Opera, Conducted by composer, Directed by Robert Jarman, Performed by Christopher Richardson (Baritone) in September 2005; Recorded for ABC Classic FM by Brooke Green[20] and broadcast in 2006). (Workshop Duration) 35'00"

The Priest's Passion – A One-Scene Chamber Opera. Libretto by composer. (Premiered @ Studio Theatre, Hobart by IHOS Music Theatre Laboratory w/ Tasmanian Conservatorium, Conducted by Jean-Louis Forestier, Directed by Robert Jarman in September 2004; Recorded for ABC Classic FM by Brooke Green for subsequent broadcast). 20'00"

[edit] Song Cycles, Suites and Songs

Compass - Song Cycle for Cambiata Choir. Based on poems by Nicholas Dewey. Commissioned by Ben van Tienen for the Sydney Children’s Choir (Cambiata Group). Premiered by the Sydney Childrens Choir[21] conducted by Ben van Tienen on the 3rd of July 2006, at the Verbrugen Hall (Sydney Conservatorium). 13’00”
Insomniac – A Song for solo Baritone on the poem of the same name by Sylvia Plath. (Premiered @ Tasmanian Conservatorium by Michael Lampard[22] on the 7/10/2005) 5’20”
Notes for Mount Moono – Song Cycle for Soprano and Piano on a set of poems by Anne Kellas from her 1989 collection, Poems from Mt Moono, Hippogriff Press, 1989. 15’00”
Elegy – A Song Suite for Soprano, Two Percussionists and Digital Pre-record. Based on the poem of the same name by Nicholas Dewey. (Premiered @ Maldini’s Restaurant Salamanca by Sarah Jones [Soprano] Robert Rule [Percussion 1] and composer [percussion 2] for the IHOS / Maldini’s winter Music Series, July 2004; Subsequent performance at the Tasmanian Conservatorium [same artists] October 2004) 16’00”
Isolated States – Song Cycle for Solo Baritone and String Quartet on poems of Anne Kellas from her 2001 collection of the same name. (Excerpts Premiered @ Tasmanian Conservatorium by the composer [Bass] and the New Music Ensemble String Quartet, October 2003) 25’00”
To a Skylark – For Soprano and Piano. On a poem of the same name by William Wordsworth (Premiered by Sarah Jones [Sop] and Ben van Tienen [Piano] @ Mt. Nelson Theatre Hobart, February 2004; Recorded for ABC Classic FM[23][24] by Brooke Green during September and Broadcast in November 2004 [same artists]) 5’30”

[edit] Chamber

Flight and Reverie – Quartet for Viol Consort. (Commissioned by Brooke Green for Backgammon Gambas, premiered by Backgammon Gambas at the Pan Pacific Gamba Gathering, at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu (Hawaii) August 3rd 2007). 6’00”
Entropic Visions – Miniature For Solo Clarinet. (Written for the New York Miniaturist Ensemble, premiered by NYME member Joshua Rubin at the Bruno Walter Auditorium in the Lincoln Centre in New York. November 30th 2006). 1’20”
Ecstatic Visions – For Solo Viola and Guitar Quartet. (Commissioned by Violist William Lane for the Contemporanes ensemble de guitarras de Monterrey (Mexico). 6’20”
Three Contemplations – For Solo Harp in 3 movements (I Prelude, II Phantasm & III Arabesque). (Premiered by Christina Sonnemann at the Tasmanian Conservatorium Recital Hall, May 2005). 10’00”
Voyage – (Premiered @ Tasmanian Conservatorium, by the Seymour Group, Conducted by Mark Summerbell, Bass-clarinet soloist Harry Sparnaay, September 2003). 8’00”
A Dance on 5 Claps – (Premiered @ Tasmanian Conservatorium, by the Seymour Group, Conducted by Mark Summerbell, May 2003). 5’30”
Fold – For Solo Piano (Derived from the score for Gordon Cleeland’s short film “Fold” premiered in 2001). 2’40”

[edit] Operatic Roles Premiered

[edit] Awards and scholarships

International Arts Mentorship (Foundation for Young Australians and Ars Musica Australis 2006)[36]

IHOS Music Theatre and Opera Young Artist Bursary (IHOS 2004)

Hobart City Council Don Kay Scholarship for Music Composition (University of Tasmania 2003)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Arts Tasmania [Text only site]
  2. ^ Matthew Dewey: Website information: Australia's Culture and Recreation Portal
  3. ^ New Adelaide Theatre Guide: South Australia's Only Comprehensive Internet Guide to Local Arts
  4. ^ IHOS Opera
  5. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  6. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  7. ^ Australian Music: Orpheus remix: 'Vox Orpheus'
  8. ^ Daylight Robbery Theatricals | Experimental work by creative and energetic theatre makers
  9. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  10. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  11. ^ Anne Kellas: Isolated States
  12. ^ Sydney Children's Choir
  13. ^ index
  14. ^ Pan-Pacific Gamba Gathering
  15. ^ New York Miniaturist Ensemble
  16. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  17. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  18. ^ Tasmanian Composers Collective
  19. ^ Daylight Robbery Theatricals | Experimental work by creative and energetic theatre makers
  20. ^ ABC Classic FM Music Details: Sunday 5 March 2006
  21. ^ Sydney Children's Choir
  22. ^ www.michaellampard.com
  23. ^ ABC Classic FM Music Details: Saturday 20 November 2004
  24. ^ ABC Classic FM Music Details: Sunday 5 March 2006
  25. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  26. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  27. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  28. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  29. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  30. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  31. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  32. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  33. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  34. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  35. ^ Matthew Dewey, Composer and Singer
  36. ^ Young Australians

[edit] External links