Matt Shaw was born and raised in Stockport. He studied Bass Trombone at the royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Manchester, under the guidance of the Halle Orchestra’s late Bass Trombonist, Adrian ‘Benny’ Morris, and graduated with a BMus (Hons).
Whilst at the RNCM Matt also studied composition during his final years and was commissioned by Adrian Morris to write at least one new work for the RNCM Trombone Choir each year of his course. The resulting works for Trombone Ensemble were premiered by the RNCM Trombone Choir for the annual International Trombone Association Ensemble Competitions.
In 2006 Matt won the ‘best soloist’ prize at the National Brass Band Championship Second Section finals and in 2012 was awarded the Terrance Greaves Award for Jazz by the RNCM. In 2012 his work ‘A Little Minor Turmoil for Brass Band and Percussion’ won the Ohio Brass Arts Festival Composition Competition in the USA
Between 2014 and 2016 Matt was the composer and arranger in residence for the Eccles Borough Band, where he created a number of bespoke arrangements for the band and in 2016 was commissioned by the Virtuosi GUS Band to write a piece for their Brass in Concert programme, which resulted in ‘HMS Indefatigable’.
As a Bass Trombonist and conductor, Matt has worked with many ensembles, including the Halle Orchestra, Halle Youth Orchestra, Bollington Brass Band, Eccles Borough Band, the Fairey Band and Grimethorpe Colliery Band.
Away from composing, Matt currently works at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, conducts the Farnworth and Walkden Band and freelances as a conductor and trombonist throughout the North West.