Matthew Roberts

Matthew Roberts is a bassist, composer, and bandleader. He has been leader of the modern jazz group Circles since 2006, which has released four albums to date. As a bassist, he has performed in a variety of styles and settings ranging from classical orchestras, to Indy rock group Yes Nice, to jazz trumpeter Mike Field, to children’s performer Will Stroet. He was a member of the genre-crossing composer’s collective Spectrum Music from 2011-2016, during which time he composed for and helped produce numerous concerts, as well as venturing into conceiving and creating several computer-facilitated interactive electro-acoustic performance installations. He has also composed and produced music for several short films. He was active as a volunteer at Toronto’s Center for Addiction and Mental Health from 2015-2017, using music to work with clients with complex mental health challenges in both inpatient and outpatient settings.  As a music teacher, he has over 15 years’ experience, including teaching courses at Grant MacEwan University, leading workshops at the University of Toronto, and teaching countless private students, ranging from six to 87 years of age, from complete beginners to professional musicians. He has a diploma in Jazz Performance from Grant MacEwan University, a Bachelors in Music from Humber College/Thompson Rivers University, a Masters in Jazz Performance from the University of Toronto, and is an alumni of the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music. After being based in Toronto from 2004-2017, he moved to Edmonton with his wife Bryn and cat Calamity Jane in August 2017 to begin medical school. They added a puppy to their family, and Matthew now practices as a Family Doctor in both Edmonton and Yellowknife.