Music Director
Matthew Chinn
“I am delighted to be appointed Music Director of Glasgow Wind Band. Having worked alongside Kevin Price for many years with the National Youth Wind Ensemble of Scotland (NYWES), I have seen first-hand his commitment to musical excellence and the significant contribution that both he and GWB have made to wind music in Scotland. It is a privilege to join GWB at such an exciting point and to build on the strong foundations that have been established since the band's inception in 1972. I look forward to working with GWB’s fantastic musicians as we continue to champion symphonic wind music, create exciting opportunities for our players, and share inspiring events and performances with audiences across Scotland and beyond.”
Biography
Matthew Chinn is an arts leader, educator, and conductor with over two decades of experience in music performance, education, and strategic programme development. Originally from Aberdeen, he studied Tuba, Community Music, and Conducting at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), graduating with First-Class Honours before completing both a Postgraduate Diploma and Master of Music in Performance, receiving numerous prizes and awards throughout his studies.
As a professional musician, Matthew has performed with many of the UK's leading orchestras, including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Ballet, and the internationally renowned Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra. He is also a founding member of the award-winning brass quintet Thistle Brass, with whom he has toured extensively, delivering performances and education projects across the UK and internationally, from the Shetland Isles to the Great Wall of China.
Alongside his performing career, Matthew has led major artistic and interdisciplinary projects in collaboration with organisations including NASA, National Geographic, the King's Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the COP26 UN Climate Summit, the Edinburgh International Festival, and the Benedetti Foundation. As an educator and creative leader, he has developed and delivered a wide range of innovative performance, participation, and learning initiatives in partnership with organisations including the National Youth Wind Ensemble of Scotland, National Children's Orchestras of Great Britain, Scottish Opera, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Children's Classic Concerts, and the Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools.
A passionate advocate for ensemble music-making, Matthew has conducted a wide range of wind bands and ensembles and, since 2012, has served as Artistic Director and one of the principal conductors of the National Youth Wind Ensemble of Scotland (NYWES), helping to shape its internationally recognised programme for talented young musicians from Scotland and around the world. In 2026, he was appointed Music Director of Glasgow Wind Band, one of Scotland's leading symphonic wind ensembles, and maintains an active conducting portfolio that includes regular engagements with Griffith University's State Honours Ensemble Programme (SHEP) in Brisbane, Australia.
As Head of Junior Conservatoire Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Matthew provides strategic and artistic leadership for one of the UK's largest and most comprehensive specialist music programmes for children and young people. Supporting almost 1,000 young musicians each week and leading a team of more than 160 staff, he oversees the continued development and delivery of a nationally recognised programme of training, performance, and progression opportunities, creating accessible pathways that enable young musicians to realise their potential and thrive.