Matrix Arts Centre's 20th anniversary concert - 2009

We celebrated Matrix Arts Centre's 20th year with a concert at Oxford Town Hall, where the extension and advanced course students played and sang. Happy birthday Matrix Arts Centre!

Since its conception, there has never been a truly quiet time at Matrix Arts Centre, as you can see from the potted history below, but with all the national and international developments surrounding the Junior Courses, the last couple of years have been incredibly busy – and it doesn’t look as though things will slow down in 2010! Lindsay has started training three new teachers for the Easter intake of the Junior Music Course, two of whom will start teaching in new rooms at Oxford Brookes University on Saturdays. Nathan Hawkes has been chosen to represent Matrix Arts Centre and the UK at the European Junior Original Concert in Vienna next year (February). In March, teachers will take their Yamaha teacher qualification. In the summer, teachers will receive training for the newest version of the Junior Music Course, due to start in November. We aim to begin the piloting of another new course to the UK in November: Music Wonderland, a pre-JMC course.

Composition was fairly new territory for us when we were first asked to include it in our teaching last summer, but the first composition concert held in Christmas 2008 made us understand that this is the natural outcome of the Junior Courses, which prepare so well for musical creativity. We are incredibly proud of the progress both we and our students have made and would like to use the opportunity to celebrate our recent achievements in this anniversary programme.

We would like to say a big thank you to Tony Furze, our compere this afternoon; and many thanks to all the teachers, students and parents who have made this 20th anniversary concert possible – we hope you enjoy it!

Antonia, Lindsay and Joy – the admin team

20 years at Matrix Arts Centre

1984 George Taylor and Lindsay MacKenzie dream of an arts centre!

1988  Yamaha Music School and Adventures in Music lessons are the first activities and start at one end of the building while the rest is completed

1989  Matrix Arts Centre finally completed and other activities start, including children’s art, aerobics, ballet, ballroom dancing, and music workshops; an inaugural concert is given by the celebrated Prussia Cove masterclass centre

1990  Junior Music Course introduced; an Electone ensemble performs at Yamaha’s National Showcase – an ensemble from Matrix Arts Centre appeared at this showcase for five consecutive years

1992  Matrix Arts Centre becomes a registered charity; one of Nigel Somerville’s brass students becomes the first of several from Matrix Arts Centre to be accepted into the National Youth Orchestra, Chetham’s and other music institutions

1994  A concert series of jazz and folk music from South America and England is organised by George Haslam and takes place over several year

1995  Lindsay is chosen to pilot a new Yamaha course: Children’s Electone Course (now called EMC)

1996  The first performers’ platform is held; Yamaha students at Matrix Arts Centre reach 300; Christina Wartke-Dunbar takes over the art classes

1998  ‘MUSIC AT MATRIX’ concert series with accompanying workshops

2000  Antonia King is trained for JMC and gradually takes on much of the administration

2001  A link with Oxford Brookes University is established – the university music department becomes a source of teachers; the first Artweeks exhibition at Matrix Arts Centre is put on display; Sue Lynn joins the team to teach violin – several of her students have since been accepted into the National Children’s Orchestra and various music conservatoires

2002  New Junior Music Course introduced

2003  The National Children’s Orchestra hold the first regional auditions at Matrix Arts Centre – this has become an annual event

2004  New Junior Extension Course introduced

2005  Lindsay becomes the principal JMC instructor

2006  A Saturday satellite school opens in Oxford, offering JMC; Joy Marzouk and Frances Munt join the team and together run the Oxford classes

2007  Matrix Arts Centre joins OMEG, the Oxford Music Education Group; Junior Extension students record with Radiohead for their album In Rainbows; Lindsay is made JMC Key Teacher representing the UK abroad; Matrix Arts Centre is given the status of national flagship JMC centre

2008  Matrix Arts Centre holds the first JOC (Junior Original Concert) in the UK

2009  Imogen Reay represents the UK at the European EJOC held in Paris in February