Energetic performances by this Canadian violist have been shared via ensembles ranging from classical chamber music to electro pop rock on three continents. In 2005 he produced and directed the 'Into Your Ears' chamber music festival in Montréal. Experience with the MSO, his collaborations with the PSQ and Lafayette String Quartet have been personally rewarding. Matthew continues to seek unusual projects such as those with: Darren Fung and Shadowpath. He recently returned from Tokyo, where he performed on an electric 5 string and gave private classical viola performances. He is delighted to be back home in Canada happy to have been performing with the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra, Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Marty Kolls, Miranda Mulholland and Persian pop star Dariush.

Full Bio

Energetic performances by Canadian violist Matthew Golem have been enjoyed by audiences in Canada, the United States, Italy, South Korea and was featured as a soloist to live and radio audiences in Japan.  His studies in music began at age four, on violin.  At age twenty he made the transition to the viola and has not looked back since collaborating with chamber, orchestra, jazz, electro pop rock and heavy metal ensembles.

Matthew's orchestral debut was with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra viola section. That same year he accepted an award for full scholarship for a summer program at the Southern Ontario Chamber Music Institute. There he worked under St. Lawrence String Quartet founding members, Geoff Nutall, Barry Shiffman and Orford Quartet musicians including Terrence Helmer.  Matthew has had the privilege of being coached by Dr. Thomas Wiebe and participated in master classes by William Preucil, Eugene Osadchy, Roger Chase, Phillip Ying, Martin Beaver and others. In 2001, Matthew contributed to the sound track of an award winning film in London and continues to play an active role in the support of new music through commissions of new works. He won a position for the National Youth Orchestra’s 2003 and 2004 tour and won full scholarship to the 2004 and 2005 Colorado College Summer Music Festival.  He has performed with the International Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra London and l’Orchestre Symphonique Trois-Rivières. He directed the 2005 'Into Your Ears' chamber music festival in Montréal dedicated to sharing free music to an unsuspecting public and was invited to perform for NUMUS with the Penderecki String Quartet and Lafayette String Quartet giving contemporary music concerts in Waterloo and Toronto. He won full scholarship to study in Ottawa with the National Arts Centre Young Artists Program and won a residency at the Banff Centre on full scholarship with Steven Dann. Matthew continues to maintain contact with a variety of artists who seek collaborations such as Los Angles based film composer Darren Fung. 

A former student of Ralph Aldrich and Virginia Barron, Matthew is a graduate Western University where he held the position of principal viola for the Western Symphony Orchestra for three years. Matthew completed his Master's degree at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University under André Roy and studied briefly with Roger Chase, Chicago. Matthew has been recognised by the Canada Arts Council and was a financially supported artist and plays a commissioned 17" Denis Cormier.

Matthew spent 8 years in Asia, then returned from musical and education adventures in Tokyo, where he performed on an electric 5 string with an all Canadian electric pop rock band, Ice Skating, and gave private performances on classical viola. He is delighted to be back home in Canada happy to have been performing with the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra, Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Marty Kolls, Miranda Mulholland and Persian pop star Dariush.