Matt Laing, composer
We had always known Matt Laing as a viola player so it was a real shock and delight to discover he was also a composer when we chose his piece “Shapes” as part of our anonymous composer program process back in 2017. Since then, he has been chosen to take part in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's 2020 Young Composer program and was subsequently selected as the Orchestra’s Young Composer in Residence for 2021. Matt’s first work premiered overseas, "Portrait of Blood", was performed in London on a tour by Affinity Quartet and Lotte Betts-Dean in February 2020. Other compositional engagements have included works for the Australian String Quartet, the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, Melbourne Chamber Players, ANAM and Wattleseed Ensemble, with current commissions including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Affinity Quartet and Z.E.N. Trio through Musica Viva. We’re thrilled and very proud to have played a part in ‘discovering' Matt as a composer.
Image credit: Sharon Gertner
"This is a really wonderful program … I did it in 2017 and everything in my compositional life since can be traced back to the opportunity given to me by the Flinders Quartet in this program. Best case, you get a great quartet workshopping and presenting your music, worst case you’ve written a string quartet and that’s pretty great too.”
Matt Laing
Watch Matt Laing’s “Shapes” here