Matthew van Emmerik
Born in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia in 1978, Matthew started playing Baritone Horn at the age of 7. He is the former principal euphonium player with the Central Band of the Royal Air Force based in London, United Kingdom and all Royal Australian Navy Bands.
He has held high profile recording and principal/section positions on euphonium, tuba and bass trumpet with the world’s leading bands and orchestras including: Black Dyke, Fodens, Leyland, Desford Colliery, Brighouse and Rastrick, Cory, Dalewool (NZ), Woolston (NZ), Victoria Brass, National Band of Australia and the Fountain City Band (USA), Australian Pops Orchestra, Melbourne Opera, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia, Melbourne Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Opera Australia Orchestra, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, the Malaysian Philharmonic, the Oporto National Orchestra (Portugal), the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Singapore Symphony and the Louisville Orchestra (USA).
Matthew has adjudicated contests and festivals across Australia, New Zealand, the U.S.A and Europe. He has conducted many high-level wind and brass bands in Australia and overseas including steering the Melbourne-based Box Hill City Band’s resurgence back to the A Grade (Championship Section) status, including recording a highly successful CD release with them titled 125 Years on the Potenza Music label (USA).
Matthew completed his PhD studies and graduated as a Doctor of Music from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and University of Sydney in 2011. He has recorded four commercially available CDs: ‘Neath Austral Skies, Utaki – The Sacred Grove, Homeland - Featuring repertoire commissioned and composed specifically for him. Preserving Code, included recording and compiling all 11 solos by famed Australian composer, conductor and instrumentalist Percy Code for the first time in history, and was released on the Potenza Music label (USA). Utaki and Preserving Code received the coveted CD of the Month Award in the Brass Band World Magazine (UK) and was also a finalist for the Solo CD of the Year Award in the same Magazine. He is the most recorded euphonium soloist in Australasia.
Matthew has held full-time positions as Director of Bands, Director of Music and Head of Music both in the USA and Australia. In December 2016 Matthew performed as part of the brass section of the world-renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the opening concert of the Midwest Conference at Symphony Center, Chicago.
Matthew is married to his beautiful wife Monique, and they have two sons William 10 and Patrick 7.
Matthew van Emmerik is featured on the following titles
Victoria Brass Live
Victoria Brass Live is a new recording by a top class Australian brass band. Expertly directed by Matthew van Emmerik, they offer a full and varied programme of innovative repertoire, including two world premieres, three Australasian premieres, and some well-loved but very welcome classics. Based in Melbourne, the band’s mission statement puts it very well. They are ‘Leading brass musicians with a collective focus on quality repertoire, collegiality and performance’.
