With a reputation as a fearlessly unpredictable pianist and composer, Matthew Bourne is a passionate explorer of sound, possessed of a burning desire to make music on anything old, broken or infirm.
In the last year, Bourne set up studio in his rural West Yorkshire home in order to capture the spontaneous moments of inspiration his concerts have become famed for. With an arsenal of vintage synthesisers, tape delays and a creaky harmonium alongside his trusty piano and cello, he is preparing for a period of intense and varied activity in his own name after many years of collaboration.
Born in Avebury, Wiltshire in 1977, Bourne first came to national attention as a winner of the Perrier Jazz Award in 2001, which was followed by an award for innovation at the BBC Radio Jazz Awards in 2002, and the International Jazz Festivals Organisation’s International Jazz Award in 2005. Renowned for his intensely personal and sometimes confrontational solo work, Bourne’s uncanny ability to balance delicacy and virtuosity, while establishing a close affinity with his audience, have become hallmarks of his concert performances.
