March 29 - April 4, 2023
A life filled with music
By CHLOE JAENICKE
MATTHEW Schultz has spent his entire life enamoured by music, and is now sharing that by being the musical director for Wangaratta’s Vocal Dimension choir. Matthew became interested in music from a young age, leading him to learn to sing, play piano, organ and trumpet, and obtain a Bachelor of Music at the Australian Catholic University majoring in pipe organ performance and choir conducting. “Hearing the sounds of singing and organs when I was very young, and also the marching bands at festivals, made an impression on me and continued that interest in music for so long,” he said. Matthew said he was also greatly inspired not only by some of his favourite artists - Australian jazz musician James Morrison, French organist Oliver Latry and British band Muse - but also by his high school music teachers. “My high school music teachers - Bill Scott, David Roe and John Bumford, among others - not only taught me musical skills, but demonstrated the power of music-making to build inclusive community,” he said. After growing up in Euroa, Matthew spent 20 years in Melbourne before moving to Wangaratta just over 18 months ago, and will lead Vocal Dimension in their upcoming concerts on May 27 and 28. Vocal Dimension, previously the Wangaratta Choristers, was founded by David Carolane OAM in 1985 and the group normally holds three performance series per year, with a broad range of choral, classical and specialist music chosen on a theme. Every second year they join with Beechworth and Albury choirs to create the Three Choirs Festival, which will be held again this September. For the upcoming May concerts, Matthew has curated a unique musical program around the theme of life, love, death and taxes. “It’s a bit unusual because I’ve never been to a choir concert where they sing about tax but we have a couple of pieces about tax,” he said. “One of them is by contemporary Melbourne composer Stuart Greenbaum who is Professor of Composition at the University of Melbourne, so we’re going to sing a rarely-performed piece of his.”
◆ PITCH PERFECT: Vocal Dimension musical director Matthew Schultz. PHOTO: Chloe Jaenicke
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