Guest Artist for 2011 - Matthew van Emmerik

Matthew van Emmerik was born in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia in 1978. He is the former principal euphonium player with the Central Band of the Royal Air Force – Uxbridge (United Kingdom) and all Royal Australian Navy Bands respectively. He has also held high profile and principal positions with the world's leading brass bands including: Black Dyke, Fodens, Leyland, Desford Colliery, Brighouse and Rastrick, Dalewool and Kew Band Melbourne.

Matthew recently performed The Philip Wilby Euphonium Concerto with the Tasmanian Symphony orchestra, as the first soloist to perform a euphonium concerto with an Australasian Symphony Orchestra. His playing profile is truly extensive and has performed with the Auckland Philharmonia, Melbourne Symphony, Sydney Symphony, West Australian Symphony Orchestras respectively, and in January 2009 Matthew returned from Portugal, where he performed 'The Planets' with the Oporto National Orchestra. His most recent orchestral performances were performing in Shostakovich’s 'Lady Macbeth of Mstensk' with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra in 2009. In 2007 Matthew became the Australian National Champion of Champions soloist at the 2007 National Band Championships of Australia.

Matthew performed at The 2006 International Tuba and Euphonium Conference (ITEC) In Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, where he performed alongside some of the world’s finest brass musicians. During this trip a world premiere piece composed for Matthew entitled ‘Utaki’ by Melbourne composer Mike Fitzpatrick won the International ‘Harvey G. Philips Award for Excellence in Composition’.

Matthew is the first Australian euphonium artist to record a commercially available CD towards his PhD studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, which is entitled: ‘Neath Austral Skies. This CD has already received critical acclaim all over the world and is available for purchase from the shop.