Matthew Boucher (he/him)

Conductor

Matt is a third year MEng Medical Engineering student from an ancient medieval town in East Kent, which some of you might recognise as the spiritual home of the Sandwich! From his first tentative steps on the piano and recorder at primary school, Year 4 Matt thrived attempting to play whatever instrument he could get his hands on! After settling on the clarinet, allegedly due to a few ‘teething problems’ postponing his trumpet debut, he enjoyed contributing his woody, occasionally squeaky, sound for many years in concerts and on tour to France, Italy, Spain and Portugal with his school orchestra. Somewhere along the way he finally gained a full set of adult teeth and started tooting new and exciting instruments from the brass section including trumpet in secondary school plus french and tenor horn whilst at uni! He’s had a blast ever since playing in a variety of LUUMS ensembles including Sinfonia, Symphony Orchestra, Symphonic Wind Orchestra, Brass Band and Concert Band, alongside performing with the National Universities Brass Band, depping for York RI Golden Rail Brass Band, playing in the pit band for Devonshire Hall’s High School Musical, and regularly gigging/jamming with the Arrythmics Big Band and Jazz and Blues Society!

Matt first rocked up in Leeds back in when the world was in the firm grip of the virus which shalt not be named, and the epicness of online Sinfonia every Monday night in the depths of winter lockdown inspired him to take up the baton! Before he could stop himself, he’d logged on and auditioned as a duo! After learning all the ‘hand-waving stuff’ from a good mate whilst riding a bike one-handed along a canal, he’s loved every minute of conducting the orchestra this past year, with particular highlights being Pirates of the Caribbean, Dambusters, Swan Lake, Radetzky March, and not forgetting How to Train Your Dragon! He’s now looking forward to working with Jamie this year to achieve that rich orchestral ‘Sinfonia’ sound we all know and love, and can’t wait to continue conducting the unofficial best orchestra in LUUMS!!!

Outside of his musical engagements, you might just find Matt attempting to run a ‘casual’ marathon, ‘inter-city’ cycling across the north, or down one of Leeds’ many drinking establishments after rehearsals! If you happen to live near York, you might also spot him playing at your local bandstand once in a while or busking jazz standards down Briggate or St Helen's Square!