Episode 123: Matthew Barley

Cello playing is at the center of Matthew Barley’s career, while his musical world has virtually no geographical, social or stylistic boundaries. His passions include improvisation, education, multi-genre music-making, electronics, and pioneering community programs.

Matthew is a world-renowned cellist who has performed in over 50 countries.

Matthew’s new music group, Between The Notes undertook over 60 creative community projects with young people and orchestra players around the world.

Matthew has given premieres by Pascal Dusapin, Dai Fujikura, Detlev Glanert, Thomas Larcher, James MacMillan, Roxana Panufnik, and recently a concerto by Misha Mullov-Abbado with a cello part that is more than half improvised, at the London Jazz Festival for the BBC.

His current project, Light Stories, is a new program for cello, electronics and visuals from Yeast Culture with much of the music written by him. 

He is also launching a new charity to run workshops using creative music and theatre to help university students with their mental health.