MatthewHalls
- Conductor
About Matthew
Chief Conductor and Artistic Director: Tampere Philharmonic
Matthew has been Chief Conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic since August 2023. In addition to concerts in Finland the 2024/25 season saw performances with Rotterdam Philharmonic, Orchestre national de Belgique, Atlanta Symphony, SWR Symphonieorchester, Warsaw Philharmonic and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.
The 2025/26 season sees Matthew return to the Bergen Philharmonic, Estonian National Symphony, Tapiola Sinfonetta and Tonkünstler-Orchester at the Musikverein, alongside debuts with Lahti Symphony and Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias. Further ahead, he returns to Wiener Symphoniker, Atlanta Symphony, Orchestre national de Belgique and Dallas Symphony.
With a background in period-performance, Matthew was one of the first to guest-conduct Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s Concentus Musicus Wien. He has gone on to conduct baroque, classical and choral repertoire regularly with the Cleveland Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Mozarteumorchester Salzburg and Stavanger Symphony among others.
His discography includes Bach’s Harpsichord Concertos directed from the keyboard, the premiere recording of Handel’s Parnasso in Festa and Bach’s Easter and Ascension oratorios.
Contact
For availability and enquiries:
Antonio Orlando
For contracts, logistics and press:
Holly Cartwright
Representation
Worldwide general management with Askonas Holt
Season Highlights
News
Matthew Halls debuts with Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
Matthew Halls debuts with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Matthew Halls returns to Finnish Radio Symphony
Matthew Halls debuts with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
Matthew Halls debuts with the Gulbenkian Orchestra
Matthew Halls debuts with Minnesota Orchestra
Matthew Halls debuts with Orchestre de chambre de Paris
Matthew Halls appointed Chief Conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic
Conductor Matthew Halls signs to Askonas Holt
Press
Beethoven and Sibelius with the Tampere Philharmonic
Tampere-talo, TampereSep 2023Matthew Halls has already brought a new kind of lightness and sharpness to the sound of the orchestra in just a few weeks as Chief Conductor. At the same time, he demands from the orchestra a wide range of tone nuances and intensity, both at quieter and louder extremes - these traits served Beethoven's music ideally. The interpretation of En Saga had a suitable proportion of fullness and finished details. The arc of the drama was shaped by Halls as naturally as a month ago with Sibelius' Fifth. The mysteriously soaring main theme went through all the emotional states before falling into a breathless silence.
- Aamulehti
- 30 September 2023
Season Opening Concert with Tampere Philharmonic
Tampere-talo, TampereAug 2023The concert culminated in a powerful performance of Jean Sibelius' Fifth Symphony - from memory without the safety net of the score. Halls got his new orchestra to play Sibelius so convincingly that Tampere has not its equal for quite some years. He paid particular attention to the inner details, such as the accompanying patterns of the double basses, as well as shaping the big moments. In the finale, the swan theme took off wonderfully and bravely rose to the inexorable conclusion. The concert also featured the Air des Espagnols from Jean-Baptiste Lully's Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme as an encore. Through his own arrangement, Halls showed his expertise in baroque music, including a small performing role. He also demonstrated his versatility already at the packed pre-concert talk of the concert, not only talking about the works but also playing samples on the piano. All the ingredients are there for an exciting new partnership.
- Aamulehti
- 01 September 2023
Beethoven with Handel and Haydn Society
Symphony Hall, BostonMar 2019Indeed, the Handel and Haydn Society’s real triumphs lie in moments of spontaneous vigour, and Halls utilized this power, blasting through the symphony with an ecstatic buoyancy that overcame expectations and transported the listener.
- Lauren V Marshall, Harvard Crimson
- 26 March 2019
Bach and Mendelssohn with Jacksonville Symphony
Jacksonville, FloridaOct 2018An early music specialist, Halls immediately displayed his comfort and authority in this repertoire, demonstrating a very attentive and intimate connection with the players. He proved himself very deft at extracting all the dynamic and rhythmic subtleties so necessary to give this music life.
- Timothy Tuller, Florida Times-Union
- 20 October 2018
Matthew Halls debuts with Orchestre de chambre de Paris
Tonight sees Matthew Halls make his Paris conducting debut in the first of two concerts with the Orchestre de chambre de Paris. They will be joined by clarinettist Raphaël Sévère and pianist Marie-Ange Nguci at for an all-Mozart programme that concludes with the composer’s final “Jupiter” Symphony, No.41. The performance at at Théâtre de Maisons-Alfort will be repeated at Théâtre des Champs-Elysées on 17 November.
Mathew’s Paris debut follows last week’s short notice step-in to conduct the Antwerp Symphony and Collegium Vocale Gent in two performances of Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem. He returns to the choral repertoire next month when he leads the Salzburg Mozarteumorchester and Houston Symphony in Bach’s Weihnachts-Oratorium and Handel Messiah respectively.
Appointed Santtu-Matias Rouvali successor as Chief Conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic earlier this season, Matthew’s spring highlights include his Minnesota Orchestra debut with Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” Symphony and a return to the Indianapolis Symphony to conduct Beethoven and Richard Strauss.
