Andrew Matthews-Owen

Andrew Matthews-Owen is a Welsh pianist and accompanist. He was born at Neath, Wales and now lives in London

Matthews-Owen studied at the Royal Academy of Music. He is the winner of awards including the Sir Henry Richardson Award for Accompanists (awarded by Roger Vignoles), a Ryan Davies Trust Award, a John Ireland Trust Award and the Elisabeth Schumann Prize. He has also twice been the recipient of an S4C Wales Scholarship. Private studies with Eugene Asti, Christine Croshaw, Roger Vignoles

He has performed at numerous major venues, partnering leading young singers, including the Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, National Portrait Gallery, Bath Pump Rooms, St David's Hall, Lousie T Blouin Institute (on Richard Meier's iconic Ibach piano) and the Brangwyn Hall with singers including Claire Booth, Helen Field, Katie van Kooten, Nicky Spence and Jeremy Huw Williams. Also on BBC Television and Radio.

An exponent of the music of distinguished composer Alun Hoddinott, he premiered the composer's latest song cycle 'Towy Landscape' for soprano, baritone and piano duet, written fro him through an award from the Welsh Arts Council and PRS Foundation, in Swansea in September 2006 with soprano Claire Booth,Welsh baritone Jeremy Huw Williams and fellow pianist Michael Pollock. The work was given its London Premiere in the prestigious Cutting Edge series administered by the BMIC, in December 2007 www.bmic.co.uk. He will record a CD of Hoddinott's song cycles in English with Claire Booth, Nicky Spence, Jeremy Huw Williams and Michael Pollock in 2009.

On the Cutting Edge Tour 2008/2009 he and Claire Booth will premiere works being written for them by Philip Cashian , Arlene Sierra and Robert Fokkens. He will also give the UK Premiere of Michael Berkeley's 'Songs for Children' in a concert at the National Portrait Gallery to remember Ralph Vaughan Williams on the 50th anniversary of his death and celebrate Berkeley's 60th birthday in 2008