Inspired by the worlds of nature and literature, Matthews creates music that compels the listener to step beyond the everyday to dwell for a while in images of paradox, to consider the ever-changing tapestry of life. Matthews’ music has been performed in countries around the world. He has been the recipient of numerous commissions and awards, including a Rockefeller Foundation residency at the Bellagio Center in Italy and a scholarship to the Composition and Computer Music Seminar of the Bartók Festival in Szombathely, Hungary. Matthews is a conductor and a founder and artistic director of the GroundSwell new music series. From 2002-2004 he was Composer-in-Residence with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra.
Michael Matthews studied composition with Larry Austin, Ben Glovinsky and Aurelio de la Vega. In December 2012 Matthews' work Out in the Dark/Silva Myrtea was premiered in Winnipeg by GroundSwell and the Phoenix Collective. Other recent premieres include and the sky caught (Trio '86) and String Quartet No. 4 (Penderecki Quartet). After many years of teaching Matthews recently retired from the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba. Currently he is writing a work for organist Alexandra Fol, a fifth string quartet and a fourth symphony.