Long Biography:
Matthew Emery is an internationally recognized Canadian composer, conductor, and educator whose music has been described as “luminous,” “eloquent,” and “deeply moving.” Currently serving as Assistant Professor of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University, Emery has previously held teaching positions at the University of Toronto, Western University, Carleton University, and Concordia University of Edmonton. His works have been performed in 37 countries across six continents, with a cumulative total of more than 1,700 public performances to date.
Emery’s output includes 76 published choral works with leading international publishers such as Boosey & Hawkes, E.C. Schirmer, GIA Publications, Santa Barbara Music Publishing, Hinshaw Music, Alliance Music Publications, Cypress Choral Music, Pavane Publishing, and Hal Leonard. His music appears on 25 commercial compilation recordings and a dedicated solo album, Sing Your Song (Centrediscs, 2017). His works have been broadcast by CBC, NPR, and international classical radio outlets, and performed at prestigious venues including Wigmore Hall (London), Musikverein, St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Vienna), and the Kodály National Conference (Melbourne).
A sought-after adjudicator and arts leader, Emery has served on over 20 jury panels for competitions and awards, including the JUNO Awards (Choral, Classical Album, Classical Composition categories), the Canadian Chamber Choir Composition Competition, the Chronos Vocal Ensemble Composition Competition, and multiple choral composition prizes. He holds editorial appointments with Anacrusis (Choral Canada), Dynamic (Choirs Ontario), and the Emmanuel College Music Series (GIA Publications), shaping discourse and repertoire development in the Canadian choral community.
His research and scholarship have appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as Anacrusis, Dynamic, and The Choral Journal, covering topics from contrapuntal technique to interviews with contemporary composers, repertoire studies, and reflections on sacred music traditions. In the past eight years, Emery has been the recipient of over $45,000 in external and internal research funding, including grants from the SOCAN Foundation, the Ontario Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Toronto Arts Council, supporting both his creative projects and international travel for performances and collaborations.
As an educator, Emery has supervised students at the undergraduate, graduate, and diploma levels, guiding composers in both creative and scholarly contexts. His teaching portfolio spans over a dozen courses in composition, orchestration, counterpoint, songwriting, and popular music analysis, as well as directed readings and graduate research seminars. He is widely respected for his mentorship and his ability to connect technical skill with expressive artistry.
Emery’s music reflects a profound engagement with poetry, text setting, and vocal colour. Often inspired by Canadian poets and natural landscapes, his works are praised for their clarity of line and emotional immediacy. Whether through the intimate lyricism of Good-Night, the expansive sonorities of Lead Us Home, or the rhythmic vitality of We Grow Strong, his compositions invite audiences into sound worlds that balance tradition and innovation.
In addition to his compositional achievements, Emery maintains an active profile as a guest conductor, clinician, and speaker, having led workshops and reading sessions for ensembles ranging from youth choirs to professional chamber choirs. He continues to shape the Canadian choral landscape through his artistic, scholarly, and administrative contributions, fostering a vibrant future for vocal music at home and abroad.
Short Biography:
Dr. Matthew Emery is a Canadian composer who “writes with an honesty which enchants” (Vancouver Sun), and whose music is “profoundly beautiful and moving” (CBC Music). His music has been performed in thirty-seven countries on six continents, and recent performance venues include the Great Wall of China, the White House and the Musikverein. Matthew has received over forty commissions and his music has been performed by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Chamber Choir, Elmer Iseler Singers, National Youth Orchestra of Canada, National Youth Choir of Canada, European Union Youth Orchestra, Orchestra London, the Art of Time Ensemble, Rolston String Quartet, Dennis Wick Canadian Wind Orchestra, musica intima, Erin Wall, Susan Platts, Rena Sharon, Simone Osborne, Leslie Fagan, Tracy Dahl, and the Bach Music Festival of Canada Orchestra.
Dr. Emery studied at the University of British Columbia (B.Mus) and the University of Toronto (M.Mus, DMA). Matthew has received over thirty awards and prizes for his compositions and his work has been included on twenty-four albums, including a Juno nominated disc. His over seventy publications are published by G. Schirmer, Boosey & Hawkes, Hal Leonard and many others.
Dr. Emery is an Assistant Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University. Prior to joining WLU, he taught at Carleton University, Western University, Concordia University of Edmonton, and the University of Toronto.
Dr. Emery’s C.V. can be viewed at the bottom of this page.
Spotify Playlist of Dr. Matthew Emery’s music: here
Photo for promotional use (Matthew Emery):
c. Matt Duboff Photography
c. Matt Duboff Photography
c. Samantha Yao
c. TSO Facebook Page
with Mitchell Pady and Jonathan Darlington
Matthew’s works have been sung in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, China (Mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao), Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom (England, Scotland), and the United States of America
Dr. Emery’s work is supported by the SOCAN Foundation, Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council and FACTOR; thank you for supporting living artists.
Dr. Matthew Emery 