Matthew Souter,
Artistic Director
For the past 28 years Matthew Souter has been a member of The Alberni String Quartet, one of Britain’s most distinguished ensembles and described in the New York Times as "one of the finest half dozen quartets in the world". The Alberni String Quartet succeeded The Amadeus String Quartet as Quartet in Residence at The Royal Academy of Music. Both in this capacity and also as an instrumental teacher Matthew Souter has been a Professor at The Royal Academy of Music in London for 18 years where he has attracted many exceptionally talented violists and violinists from across the world wishing to study with him, many of whom now have gone on to enjoy highly distinguished musical careers themselves. Matthew Souter has also helped countless younger students to achieve exceptional scholarship places at the world’s finest conservatoires. One such pupil was awarded first prize in the 2021 Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition. Matthew Souter has given masterclasses worldwide including at the prestigious Xinghai Conservatory in Guangzhou, China and has been fortunate in his career to have been lent some outstanding instruments including a 1585 Gaspar da Salo and an Antonio Stradivari of 1696.
As a conductor Matthew Souter has worked with orchestras in London, Hong Kong, Bahrain and China. In this capacity has collaborated and performed with distinguished soloists including; countertenor Iestyn Davies, cellists; Robert Cohen, Julian Lloyd Webber and Jamie Walton and soprano Verity Wingate.
As a soloist he has performed across the world both as a recitalist and with professional orchestras from the UK, Europe, Russia and South East Asia. He has recorded and broadcast as a soloist on the BBC, NHK, Deutsche Rundfunk networks and on CD for Signum Classics, Regent Records and Hyperion.
Matthew has also guest-lead the viola sections in virtually all of Britain’s most celebrated orchestras such as the Academy St Martin-in-the-Fields, the English Chamber Orchestra and The London Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also been a regular guest at international chamber music festivals in the UK, Europe and South East Asia, often collaborating with world-famous artists.