'You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.'
William Faulkner
Courage. Connection. Communication.
Matthew has dedicated his life to exploring and sharing the radiance, magic & power of music and the performing arts to make a difference.
'Matthew Sharp's performance raised the evening to a pitch of spiritual feverishness rarely encountered in either connect hall or theatre'.
The Independent
He is devoted to unlocking the YOU in U-LTIMATE! Encouraging the pleasure & responsibility to search out, nurture & develop all of your innate gifts in pursuit of the richness & humanity of expression. After all, cello-playing ABOUT cello-playing never stopped, changed or healed the world!
If you want more clarity about your mission and motivation in music, if you're seeking more courage, connection and communication in your playing and living, then make contact with Matthew now.
Make Contact HereTchaikovsky Dreaming
One of those LOCKDOWN DREAMS...
I was playing the Rococo, onstage with the orchestra AND a company of dancers. We were creating a wondrous, uplifting spectacle - all swirling to the innate dance in the music. I woke up, went straight to the local church & recorded two minutes of Tchaikovsky that I beamed out with an open invitation to anyone who wanted to move to this music and help me manifest my dream. Dancers from all over the world have been sending me videos - a COVID-collaboration that I'll edit together into a gem of the dream...
Death's Cabaret
A Love Story
The desperate, dancing denouement from Death's Cabaret - A Love Story, a compelling concerto for cello/baritone/actor and strings.
Mistress Death comes to call. Your time upon this earth is up. When life is in the balance, what will save you? Love, music or waking from the nightmare?
Hora din Budesti/Schubert
This is my amazing band, ZRI.
ZRI stands for Zum Roten Igel, or ‘To the Red Hedgehog’, the tavern in 19th century Vienna where Schubert and Brahms each went to hear Gypsy and folk music. Beginning with their radical re-scoring of the Brahms Clarinet Quintet to include accordion and santouri (dulcimer), ZRI has developed equally captivating programs which re-imagine Schubert’s great C major quintet, adventure with Charlie Chaplin, and waltz with Schoenberg.
Tommy Foggo - Superhero
A magical multi-media tale of a life saved by music for 7+ and their guardians, based on a true story.
Tommy’s mum had told him to wait for her at the bus stop and never showed up again. It felt to Tommy like he’d been stuck there for a zillion years – even after he’d been taken to live in the children’s home. And then, one day, he runs away – to the seaside, where he finds Destino, a talking cello with a mission.
Will Tommy be big enough to defeat the terrifying Kraken of the Deep and rescue the Queen of Lost Atlantis?
Tune Up Tuesday UPSKILLS
Alongside Darcey Bussell, Alex Lacamoire, Evelyn Glennie and many more industry experts, I was invited to contribute an instructive, inspiring video for the international initiative, TUNE UP TUESDAY.
#TuneUpTuesday gave schools the opportunity to celebrate the impact of the arts in the development and mental health of young people in the UK.
Over 110,000 students across the world took part in this uplifting online event, connecting them all in the power of the creative arts. The day highlighted how vital the arts are in our culture, and how important it is that they are protected and sustained through the pandemic, whilst continuing to encourage young people to pursue a career in this amazing industry.
