Matthew Strachan |
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Matthew's best known music is the score for the TV game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? which has been broadcast in over one hundred countries and earned him five ASCAP awards. He began playing piano at the age of seven and spent much of his childhood in theatres and TV studios where his father worked as a musical director and supervisor. As a teenager, Matthew began writing songs and, at the age of fifteen, he was commissioned by the BBC to write five songs for a TV series. He later enrolled at Dartington College of Arts to study piano and composition, and subsequently attended Goldsmiths College, London University for a Master's degree in composition which he left to pursue his career.
For ten years, Matthew worked as a composer and musical director in TV, theatre, radio and film, gaining major credits such as Question Time, Winning Lines and The Detectives. In 2003 Matthew turned his attentions to songwriting in Nashville where, for two years, he collaborated with some of 'Music City's' finest songwriters, including Tom Kimmel, Don Henry, Billy Kirsch and J Fred Knobloch.
He is currently writing a stage musical with his wife, Bernadette, and is an occasional contributor to the satirical website Postcards From The Pug Bus.
Matthew's website can be found at www.strawnygawn.com
MUSIC COMPOSED FOR FILM, TELEVISION, & RADIO
- Who wants to be a millionaire?
- ITV, ABC, CBS, Worldwide
- Britain's Brainiest
- ITV, Worldwide
- The People Versus
- ITV, Worldwide
- Winning Lines
- BBC1, CBS, Worldwide
- Victoria Wood's Sketch Show Story
- BBC1
- The Charm Offensive
- ITV
- Mind The Gap
- ITV
- Car Wars
- BBC1
- Dance Sport
- Trans World International
- The Gemini Apes (1998 Christmas Day Blockbuster)
- Audio Movies for Radio 4
- Question Time
- (arranger) - BBC1
- Scratchy & Co
- Five Series - Carlton TV
- The Detectives
- BBC1
- Laureus World Sport Awards
- (TV Promo) - syndicated worldwide
- The Ward
- Two Series - Granada Television
- Talking Telephone Numbers
- Two Series - Carlton TV
- Samsung World Sport Esprit
- Trans World International
- The Best and Worst Moments in Sport
- Trans World International
- The Jasper Carrott Trial
- BBC1
- Food for Thought
- Carlton UK
- Noel Edmonds ‘And The Winner Is…’
- BBC1
- What’s Cooking?
- Carlton UK
- The Hypnotic World of Paul McKenna
- ITV
- The Bobby Davro Special
- ITV
- Teachers National Knockout Quiz
- Sky TV
- 1994 BAFTA Technical Awards
- Celador Productions for BBC1
- Major Divot’s Golf Guide
- Celador Productions
- Diggin’ The Dancin’ Queens
- [Arranger] BBC1
- The Brian Conley Show
- [Arranger] - ITV
- Boogie Outlaws
- BBC2
- A Kind of Hush
- (Incidental Music) - Feature Film - The First Film Company
- The Gemini Apes
- BBC Radio 4
- The Jasper Carrott Trial
- BBC Radio 4
- Carrott's Comedy Choice
- BBC Radio 4
- Nobblers
- BBC Radio 4
MUSIC ON COMMERCIAL RELEASE
- Who wants to be a Millionaire?
- (PC Game) Disney,Interactive/Eidos/Sony Playstation
- Who wants to be a Millionaire?
- (Album)Celador Records
- Stefan Edberg at Wimbledon
- (Video Series) - Trans World International
- Toy Story
- [Arranger] (Audio Cassette) - Walt Disney Records
- Maestro Series One
- (Educational CD-ROM) - IMK UK
- The Human Aquarium
- (Commercial Video) - Dangerous to Know
- LTA Tennis Training
- (Educational Video) - Joseph Productions
TV COMMERCIALS
- Legoland News
- John Smiths Bitter
- Nissan Primera
- World Trading Day
MUSIC COMPOSED FOR THEATRE
- Happy Birthday Dear Alice
- (Arranger)- Orange Tree Theatre
- The Lodger
- Windsor Theatre Royal
- Mad Dog Killer Leper Fiend
- Indent Theatre Company
- The Fly
- Paul Farrah /Apollo Theatres
- The Good Woman of Setzuan
- Orange Tree Theatre
- The Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles
- Orange Tree Theatre
- Cardboard & Hardboard
- Platform Theatre Group
AS MUSICAL DIRECTOR FOR THEATRE:
- The Blues Brother Meet The Soul Sisters
- Windsor Theatre Royal
- The Rink
- (Dir: John Gardyne) - Orange Tree Theatre
- The Fly
- (Dir: Carole Todd) - Paul Farrah/Apollo Theatres
- The Good Woman Of Setzuan
- (Dir: Sam Walters) - Orange Tree Theatre
- You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me
- (Dir: Annabel Leventon) - Webber Douglas
- Flora The Red Menace
- (Dir: Sam Walters) - Orange Tree Theatre
- Godspell
- (Dir: Richard Frost) - Webber Douglas
- Imagine
- (Asst. MD) - Liverpool Playhouse