San Francisco Bay Area native Matthew Oshida joins the Phoenix Symphony for its 2024-25 season as a member of the First Violin Section. A versatile recording artist, Matthew has contributed to albums produced by various record labels such as Sony Classical, Hyperion, Claves, and Delos, and has performed on multiple soundtracks for film, television, and video games. In the world of musical theatre, he served as the solo violinist for the national tour of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella and played in several TheatreWorks productions, as well as on the national tour of Annie.
Matthew’s orchestral experience spans both the U.S. and Europe, having played with ensembles including London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Switzerland’s Gstaad Festival Orchestra, LA Opera, San Francisco Ballet, Utah Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, and Sarasota Opera. He has appeared in principal positions with Berkeley Symphony, Symphony San Jose, San José Chamber Orchestra, California Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, New West Symphony, Santa Cruz Symphony, Modesto Symphony, Stockton Symphony, and Huntsville Symphony. Throughout his career, he has accompanied celebrated artists including Sarah Brightman, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bolton, Plácido Domingo, Tim McGraw, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Mannheim Steamroller, and Harry Connick, Jr.
As an accomplished chamber musician, Matthew has performed with the Emerson Quartet and pianist Jon Nakamatsu, and has been featured in live broadcasts for BBC Radio 3. He is a founding member of the San Francisco-based Farallon Quintet, with whom he has played over 60 concerts throughout Northern California, received grants from San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music, InterMusic SF, and the Barlow Endowment, served as ensemble-in-residence at Old First Concerts, and taught on the faculty for Chamber Musicians of Northern California.
His extensive festival appearances include the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, Oregon Coast Music Festival, New Hampshire Music Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Rheingau Musik Festival, Grafenegg Festival, Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Midsummer Mozart, Mendocino Music Festival, and Music in the Mountains. Beyond the concert hall, Matthew has demonstrated the link between music and leadership by performing for executives at training seminars for companies such as eBay, Chevron, Intel, Del Monte, and Protiviti.
An advocate for musicians and diversity in American orchestras, he has served as Treasurer and Executive Board Member for Regional Orchestra Players’ Association and as a committee member of National Alliance for Audition Support sponsored by the Sphinx Organization. As a contractor, he has hired musicians for such popular artists as Andrea Bocelli, Bernadette Peters, and Marie Osmond and served as personnel manager for Oakland Symphony and San Francisco Contemporary Music Players.
In education, he was the director of youth orchestras for San José Chamber Orchestra and coached sectionals for California Youth Symphony, San Jose Youth Symphony, Peninsula Youth Orchestra, and Westside Youth Orchestra, and taught students in LA afterschool programs through Harmony Project.
Matthew holds a B.M. from Indiana University and an M.M. from SUNY Stony Brook and performs on a violin crafted by Stefano Scarampella with a bow by Étienne Pajeot.
