Matthew Nowlan is currently pursuing a B.A. in Global Politics and Int'l Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is also a fully engaged violist at the university where he studies with Liz Freivogel from the Jupiter Quartet. Matthew currently holds the Principal Viola position with the University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra. He is also a member of the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra and Sinfonia da Camera, both professional orchestras based in Champaign, IL. From 2017 to 2022, Matthew served as Concertmaster and then Principal Viola of the Midwest Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2018, he was selected as a member of the All-National Honors Orchestra that takes place in Orlando, Florida. Matthew has performed at internationally acclaimed venues including Carnegie Hall in New York City, Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center in Chicago, Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles, Foellinger Great Hall at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, and St. Stephens Cathedral in Vienna, Austria. He has performed and studied with notable musicians including the Solideo Quartet, Daniel McDonough, Meg Freivogel, Nelson Lee, Salley Koo, Rudolf Haken, Ai Melby, Ian Hobson, Jean Montes, Carolyn Watson, Jeff Edmons, Kayoko Dan, Jeffrey Grogan, Brian Groner, Taka Matsunaga, and the late Matthew Mantell and Anne Donahue. As a member of the Bravura String Quartet from 2016 to 2020, he performed for the Chicago Symphony Center, the Hemmens Cultural Center, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Chicago (JCCC), and countless weddings and community events. In 2019 and 2020, Matthew was selected as a winner of the National School Orchestra Award. 

 

For 7 years, Matthew has devoted long hours of love and attention for the Midwest Philharmonic Orchestra in areas of Marketing, Logistics, Personnel Managing, and General Supervision, and was appointed the Marketing and Events Director position in 2020.  He also enjoys working at the Bowdoin International Music Festival in Brunswick, Maine, during the summer. Besides his love for music, Matthew avidly travels, likes to cook, and loves hanging out with his cat Louie.