Lord of the Strings

Matthew Fagan is Australia’s leading all round acoustic guitarist and composer of over 30 years of performance, composition and educational experience. Matthew has developed very unique and versatile performances and always surprises audiences with his modern interpretations of original arrangements, original compositions and virtuosity on guitar.

In May 2014 Matthew was the Sponsor, Promoter and performer for the National tour with World Renowned Jazz and Fingerstyle Guitarist Martin Taylor MBE from the UK.

Matthew also hosted the Dandenong Ranges Ukulele Festival at Burrinja Cultural Centre in Upwey, Victoria in 2015 and the inaugral and very successful Emerald Ukulele Festival on the 31st May 2014 which was supported by the Australian Arts Council.

In September 2014 Matthew produced two new Albums in the USA, “Solstice” a collaborative project with pianist Daniel Tucceri which features classical masters Beethoven, Rodrigo, Bach, Albeniz and Vivaldi and a Festive Guitar Album with Christmas and Celtic Music.

In September 2013 in the USA, Matthew produced two new albums “Virtuoso” A Homage to my Ancestors” and Ukuleleland which features the beautiful music of Spain, Latin American, Africa, Gypsy music & other world Music.

Matthew has toured and performed with an extraordinary array of international celebrities Natalie Cole, The Original Buena Vista Social Club, Billy Connolly, Shirley Bassey and Michael Crawford. The tour with Billy Connolly was so successful that Billy made a gift of his own Banjo to Matthew as a token of his gratitude and was quoted saying
“Matthew is the best Guest artist I have ever had.”

Matthew has also performed at the Port Fairy Festival, National Folk Festival, Cygnet Folk Festival 2011, Bath Guitar Festival and performs regularly in Major Concert Venues, Folk Clubs and popular venues around Australia.

As a touring musician, Matthew has followed in the footsteps of his great uncle Milton Parkes who toured with the Australian Opera legend Dame Nellie Melba throughout the United States of America in the early 20th century.

Matthew has entertained audiences in more than 120 countries worldwide as a soloist and with orchestra and bands including extensive touring across Europe, South America, Alaska, Canada, China, Japan and South East Asia as a guest artist with Princess Cruises.

Matthew has also been a finalist in the Winfield International Fingerstyle competition in Kansas, U.S.A in 2009-2011.

Touring with Michael Crawford provided a great opportunity for Matthew to perform as a solo artist to some 60,000 people within 5 days, including the Adelaide Festival Centre and Melbourne Park. Matthew played to capacity audiences for Billy Connolly at the Melbourne Concert Hall, The Capitol Theatre in Sydney and at the Sydney Opera House. He performed for Shirley Bassey with a full orchestra at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Matthew has also performed for his holiness the Dalai Lama at the parliament of World Religions.

Highlight Solo performances to date include: ten years consecutive performances at the Melbourne International Festival; The Victorian Arts Centre; Performance in the foyer of the Royal Festival Hall, London, England; Jazz clubs in Brighton, England, New York and New Orleans.

Matthew has performed Solo guitar, Flamenco Shows and with Irish and “Gypsy Jazz” ensembles better known as “Gypsy Fire” at festivals i.e. Cygnet Folk Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival, National Festival and Major Concert arenas i.e Performing Arts Centres and has amazed corporate clients as diverse as Domaine Chandon, The Australian Grand Prix Corporation, National Gallery of Australia, Federation Square and Crown Casino.

The Celtic Suite was Matthew's first composition for orchestra and was performed at the Melbourne Town Hall, The National Gallery of Victoria , Government House Victoria, Bailleau Myer Residence and St John's Southgate by the Orana Chamber Orchestra (and features on his 2nd album Indigo Moon). In 2000 Matthew was a recipient of a Victoria Arts Council Grant for "The New Celtic Suite". This has led to a further 12 commissions to compose for orchestra up to 2010.

Matthew is a graduate in Music from the Victorian College of the Arts and Monash University and has studied with masters John Williams, Paco Pena, Leo Kottke, Martin Taylor, Joe Pass, John Maclauchlan, Slava Grigoryan, Bob Brozman and Tommy Emmanuel amongst others.

Stories from his life of travel and entertaining are a special feature of his show.
Matthew is an exhilarating, breathtaking and captivating performer and his shows are not to be missed.

VOYAGES COMMUNITY MULTICULTURAL PERFORMING ARTS PROJECT

From 1997 to the present Matthew has been the music director and main facilitator for the Voyages Community Multi-cultural Performing Arts Project. In 2004-2010 Matthew was commissioned as Music Director/Composer by the Victorian Government and Pan Events of “Voyages” Australia Day Public Concert, at Federation Square to audiences of over 20,000 people. The Voyages project was funded by the Australian Arts Council and Vic Health in 2004 for a regional tour to 8 Victorian Communities with a budget of over $450,000.
Matthew was the recipient of funding through the The City of Port Phillip Cultural Development Fund and on the 24th of June, 2012, and presented 'Voyages" at the St Kilda Town Hall, with over 200 Multicultural and local Community Artists performing to a full house. The Voyages Project also received funding from the City of Kingston and the Victorian Government- Victorian Multicultural Commission, and Bendigo Bank- Highett and another large scale concert was presented at the Kingston City Hall on the 27th of October, 2012.


For Background, Photos, Media, Video go to
http://matthew-fagan.com/files/voyages.html
http://youtu.be/a0dfAA9YQDQ
http://www.matthew-fagan.com/NewPage/Voyages.html
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Voyages-Community-Arts-Project/234956329907555


Television Appearances
ABC TV “A Moody Christmas”
In Early December 2012, Matthew’s virtuosic hit rendition of “Tocatta” aired on the ABCTV1 Television Production "A Moody Christmas". Matthew's hands featured in the performance which was the pinnacle climax of this season.
See Matthew performing Tocatta live on Youtube at recent Voyages Multicultural Community Performing Arts Concert http://youtu.be/t0udTFjcexc

Channel 7 Network “Winners and Losers”
In July 2012 Matthew Fagan appeared on Channel 7’s Network of episode one of Season two 2012 of “Winners and Losers”. Matthew performed part of his original Flamenco Composition Arabesque from the CD “Voyages and Journeys”
http://www.myspace.com/MatthewMFagan/music/songs/arabesque-51699801
and “Morning Song “off the Album “Indigo Moon”.
http://www.myspace.com/MatthewMFagan/music/songs/morning-song-88197407
Matthew appeared as a Flamenco Guitarist and his original composition “Morning Song” was heard in its entirety for the closing love scene. Over 1 million viewers watched this episode, and even more is expected when this show is screened in Europe.
Matthew is regularly featured on the Channel 31 Television Program Guitar Gods. Matthew performed his original composition Renaissance which features on his recent solo album "One Day in Nashville".
http://www.myspace.com/MatthewMFagan/music/songs/renaissance-mp3-83221420




ALBUM INFORMATION
“Solstice”
“Festive Guitar”
“Virtuoso- A Homage to my Ancestors”
“Ukuleleland”
“One Day in Nashville
“Voyages and Journeys”
“Indigo Moon
“Point of Departure”- Available at Concerts

Listen online
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/MatthewFagan1
http://www.matthew-fagan.com/#!shop/px2vy

http://www.matthew-fagan.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/mjb1fagan
www.facebook.com/MatthewJamesFagan https://www.facebook.com/matthewfaganpage
www.twitter.com/MatthewJFagan @MatthewJFagan