Matt Beckingham enjoys an active career as an orchestrator and conductor, with a growing focus on social action through the arts. Matt is head of music for Opera North’s flagship music education project, In Harmony Opera North, which won Best Classical Music Education Initiative in the 2014 Classic FM Music Teacher Awards. In Harmony Opera North is inspired by El Sistema, seeking to transform an underserved community through classical music. Matt also leads the vocal strand of Switch ON, Opera North’s programme working with homeless and vulnerable adults.
In the classical world, Matt’s works have been performed by Rundfunkchor Berlin, BBC Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Swan with Sir Willard White, and Royal Northern Sinfonia.
As conductor or chorus master Matt has worked on performances including: BBC Proms with BBC Symphony Orchestra, Classic FM broadcast from King’s College Chapel with the King Singers, performances with National Youth Orchestra, National Youth Choir GB, a recent performance with the National Youth Choir of Venezuela, alongside concerts at Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace for HM Queen Elizabeth II. Matt is artistic director of OneSound, formerly MAYC Orchestra & Singers, a leading national Christian youth ensemble.
Matt is a Churchill Fellow, and Fellow of the RSA.