Matthew O’Sullivan is an organist, choir director and composer with a strong commitment to encouraging practical music-making among performers of all ability levels, particularly in choral and church contexts. He is Director of Music at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Beaverton, OR, and is serving as Dean of the Portland chapter of the American Guild of Organists for the 2023-24 season. Before moving to Portland in 2020 he was based in Montana, where he taught Music Theory at Montana State University and was accompanist to the university’s choral groups. He also served as head organist and choir director of Hope Lutheran church in Bozeman, MT.
Matthew has made guest soloist appearances with the Bozeman Symphony & Helena Symphony, as well as presenting frequent solo recitals (including playing the rededication recital in 2019 for the organ of the Skinner Chapel at Carleton College, Northfield, MN). In February 2019, he was the featured artist on an episode of Montana PBS’s 11th & Grant with Eric Funk, the first ever organist to appear on this show. Recent projects featuring new compositions include the world premiere in July 2020 of a substantial new organ work by Eric Funk, and the premiere of Matthew’s own four-movement, 25-minute organ work entitled ‘Where Shall I Fly?’.
Matthew is originally from the UK, where he gained his Bachelor’s degree in Music at Cambridge University, accompanying and directing the choir of Christ’s College as Organ Scholar. From 2002-2012 he was Director of Music at the church of St John the Divine in Richmond, near London.