Photo: Sheila Rock
Matthew Trusler
"Matthew Trusler has been attracting the kind of praise normally reserved for a young Oistrakh"
The Independent
Born in 1976, Matthew Trusler graduated from Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music in 1998, having also studied with Ruggerio Ricci, soon after which The Times exclaimed “we might just have an authentic, though British, virtuoso”. Following the release of Matthew’s disc ‘Blues’ The Daily Telegraph added that 'Trusler assumes the Heifetz (and Perlman) mantle with ease'. Trusler performs with one of Heifetz’s bows, given to him by Herbert Axelrod and his connection to the ‘golden’ era of violinists doesn’t end there; he believes that the sound, emotion and sheer love of the instrument illustrated by those great violinists should be what guides performance today and he certainly seeks to emulate that in his own performance style. The core repertoire, for which Trusler receives much acclaim centres round his love of early twentieth century music, specifically Prokofiev for whom he holds a great affinity, but also Walton, Berg and Britten.
Matthew Trusler has been invited to perform as a recitalist and concerto soloist throughout Europe, Australia, the USA, Japan and South Africa; some highlights include highly successful tours with the Australian orchestras including appearances in Perth, Queensland and Tasmania, his US début with Minnesota Orchestra and a tour to Mexico of Walton with Martyn Brabbins and Philharmonia Orchestra.
Alongside his concerto work Matthew Trusler is also an accomplished recitalist and an avid chamber musician. Trusler recently teamed up with Wayne Marshall - as well as performing the core classical repertoire the duo have recorded a CD of short pieces by composers directly influenced by jazz. The CD was released to huge critical acclaim, including CD of the week in the Telegraph, CD of the week on Classic FM, and Recital CD of the month in Strad Magazine. Collaborations with other eminent musicians have included Martin Roscoe, Peter Donohoe, Leonidas Kavakos, Lynn Harrell, Imogen Cooper and Joseph Silverstein.
Future collaborations include concertos (Britten and Benjamin) and chamber repertoire with Lawrence Power, projects with upcoming French pianist Bertrand Chamayou and Prokofiev recordings with Martin Roscoe. Matthew also directs ensembles; Yves Petit de Voize is setting up a chamber ensemble formed from the best graduates of the Conservatoire de Paris to work with Matthew on a permanent basis – the ensemble continues to develop and is yet another interesting extension for this diverse artist.
Trusler founded Orchid Classics in 2005 as a creative extension to his love of performance. The label has now released three albums, and was launched with the recording of a project ‘The Pity of War’ which featured violin sonatas by Elgar, Janacek and Debussy and the letters and poetry of Wilfred Owen, read by Samuel West; produced in association with the Imperial War Museum, the CD was released to great critical acclaim, including a 5 star rating from the Independent. Orchid Classics supports The Lenny Trusler Children's Fund (LTCF) of which Trusler is a Founder.
Trusler also moonlights as a film consultant having recently advised during the adaptation of Norman Lebrecht's novel 'The Song of Names' for film, the screenplay being written by Jeffrey Caine (Oscar Nominee for 'The Constant Gardener’).
Matthew plays a 1711 Stradivari violin.
Promoters please note: if you wish to include this biography in a concert programme etc, please contact Hazard Chase to ensure that you receive the most up to date version.
Email: Kirsty Smith
