Rock-god of the bassoon” – Matthew Hindson
Matthew Kneale was the star of this performance, painting energetically from a varied palette of bassoon timbres from buzzing frenzies of fast notes to the instrument's warm low register and singing high.” – Limelight Magazine
Matthew Kneale's bassoon playing was a particular joy. His extraordinary technical command was matched by a wonderful sense of humour...the bassoon became a witty conversationalist, drawing smiles and occasional laughter from the audience.” Geelong Chamber Music Society review
Hailed by the Daily Telegraph as “a new star…who wields his instrument with virtuosic skill and with moves you usually associate with a rock guitarist”, Matthew Kneale is one of Australia’s leading lights on the bassoon.
In 2025 Matthew became the youngest president of the Australasian Double Reed Society, with whom he has cultivated a new vision and community approach towards relationships in the Oceania and Asia regions. In 2019 he became the first ever bassoonist to be awarded the prestigious Freedman Classical Fellowship, and has since enjoyed a varied and dynamic solo and chamber career, collaborating with wonderful musicians such as Paavali Jumppanen, Rachael Beasley, Ian Munro and world leading saxophonist Niels Bijl who he regularly performs with.
Matthew is a founding member of Arcadia Winds, Australia’s leading young wind ensemble, and Musica Viva’s inaugural FutureMakers musicians. With Arcadia Winds Matthew appears as a soloist and chamber musician at festivals and venues around Australia. Matthew also performs as a casual musician with many of Australia and New Zealand’s leading orchestras, including the Auckland Philharmonic, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Queensland and Darwin Symphony Orchestras, the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra , Camerata, John Forman’s Aussie Pops orchestra and Orchestra Victoria.
In 2026 and 2027 Matthew will be involved in chamber music residencies at the Australian National Academy of Music, the Elder Conservatorium and Monash University as well a return to the Geelong Music Society collaborating with both pianist Aura Go and with Arcadia Winds. Matthew will be performing in the Staff Concert Series at Sydney Conservatorium of Music with Trio Arapiles, solo and chamber music concerts in Tokyo, Japan as part of the Japan Oboe Association, and as a guest bassoonist for the UWA day of Woodwind.