“On distingue ainsi le basson incroyable de Zoë Matthews, à la sonorité vive, tempérée mais empreinte d’une puissance exemplaire…” (Muse Baroque, Le Magasin de la musique baroque)
The British bassoonist, Zoë Matthews performs all across Europe, with ensembles such as the La Scintilla, Basel Kammerorchester, les Talens Lyriques, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Les Siecles, and the Early Opera Company. She has worked with inspiring directors such as Masaaki Suzuki, Richard Egarr, Andrea Marcon, Christoph Rousset, Enrico Onofri, Rachel Podger and Margaret Faultless, to name but a few. She recorded Bach Motets with VOCES 8 on the ‘Signum Classics’ Label and played in several live broadcasts for BBC Radio 3. Zoë was also a member of the European Union Baroque Orchestra 2009, from which a new orchestra, New Century Baroque, was launched in May 2010. New Century Baroque was Jeune Ensemble in Residence 2011/2012 at Ambronay and performed their Ambronay Festival debut concert ‘Chaos and Order’ in October 2011 and recorded Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and Requiem for the Ambronay edition label in 2012.
She studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, where she graduated with a first class honours degree in 2006, studying with Peter Wesley and Alan Pendlebury. She continued her studies with Graham Salvage at the RNCM gaining a Masters of Music Performance with distinction in 2007. After gaining an interest in historical bassoons at the RNCM, Zoë went on to study Masters in Historical Performance Practice at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with Donna Agrell, and graduated with distinction in 2010. She completed her masters of pedagogy in Historical bassoons in 2016.
She was awarded an MBF Education Award, the E.A. Bardsley scholarship and a scholarship to study at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. She was chosen to take part in the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s Young Players Experience scheme 2006/2007, where she worked with Sir Charles McKerras, Sir Roger Norrington and Vladamir Jurowski.
Zoë recently completed work at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis on a research project funded by the Swiss National Foundation about the history and repertoire of historical small sized bassoons. With a culminating two day symposium in February 2023 ‘Forgotten relatives
Small bassoons of the 18th and 19th centuries on stage again’
Zoë teaches modern and historical bassoons at Regio Musikschule Sissach BL, Hünenberg Musikschule ZG and also privately.
Zoë Matthews-Visentin - Bassoon 