Matthew Kaner

Matthew Kaner (b.1986) is a Professor of Composition and Academic Studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama since 2013. His works blend narrative storytelling with orchestral innovation, notably the BBC Proms commission Pearl (2022) and the chamber album Matthew Kaner: Chamber Music (2022). His research focuses on narrative techniques in music, jazz analysis, and topic theory. Honors include the Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize (2013) and a Roche Young Composers’ Commission (2015). Associated with Blom Music Management, Kaner collaborates with ensembles like the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Goldfield Ensemble.

• Education: B.M. King’s College London; M.Mus. Guildhall School of Music & Drama (composition with Julian Anderson)
• Commissions: LSO, Philharmonia, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
• Key Projects: Upcoming violin concerto with Benjamin Baker (2024-25); jazz-influenced works inspired by 1950-1970 eras
• Awards: RPS Composition Prize, Tanglewood Fellowship, BBC Radio 3 Embedded Composer (2016)

His music explores themes of narrative adaptation, cosmic imagery, and emotional transformation, often drawing on literary and visual art sources. Kaner’s compositional style balances tonal and non-tonal elements, emphasizing textural precision and evocative storytelling.