Matthew D. Nielsen – Composer/Arranger

Matthew D. Nielsen (b. 1984) is an active conductor, freelance-composer, baritone, producer, and sound engineer. He has conducted performances in venues such as Norwich Cathedral, St. Giles-in-the-Fields, and St. John’s Smith Square. Matthew has also received numerous requests to appear as a guest conductor. As a composer, he has received commissions from the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition, The Combined Choirs and Philharmonic Orchestra at Brigham Young University, Cantorum Chamber Choir, and St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Plano, Texas. Matthew’s music has been published with Walton Music, Santa Barbara Music Press and featured internationally on BYU Radio and American Public Media’s Performance Today with Fred Child. As a soloist, he has studied with Karen Anderson & Jennifer Welch-Babidge and performed in Ireland, England, Germany, Ukraine & the United States.

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, he received vocal and instrumental training in both jazz and classical styles. After spending two years living abroad in Ireland, he earned a Bachelor of Music in Sound Recording Technology from Brigham Young University in 2010, and a Masters in Music in Choral Conducting in 2012. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Music with an emphasis in choral music from the University of Southern California.

During his studies he has performed with the USC Chamber Singers, BYU Concert Choir and BYU Singers, serving as an assistant conductor of the latter for three years. In addition, he has served as assistant conductor to the BYU Women’s Chorus, BYU Men’s Chorus and served as music director of the BYU Chorale and USC Apollo Men’s Chorus.