Matthew at the console of the Schoenstein organ in Holsclaw Hall, The University of Arizona, Tucson. Photo by Ingvi Kallen.
Organist, composer, and astronomy educator Matthew Whitehouse has appeared in recitals throughout the United States. His compositions have been performed in the United States and Europe. One of his major artistic interests is engaging audiences in exploring connections between music and astronomy, an interest frequently reflected in his work as a composer and performer. His solo organ work Nebulae, a musical narrative on the process of star formation, has been performed in such venues as Notre Dame Cathedral and St. Sulpice in Paris. In February 2010, Whitehouse was a featured performer and presenter at a music/astronomy outreach event at Biosphere 2, located just outside of Tucson. Improvisation is another of Whitehouse’s specialties, and his organ recitals frequently include improvisations inspired by astronomical images.
Whitehouse currently serves as Observatory Manager at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia. He has given presentations and participated on panels at conferences of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and the American Astronomical Society, and is published in Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s Mercury magazine. Whitehouse has appeared twice as a speaker for the interdisciplinary Conference on the Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena (INSAP): INSAP VII (2010) in Bath, UK, and INSAP VIII (2013) at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. He has also presented at international astronomy education conferences such as the 2015 Universe Awareness International Workshop (Leiden, Netherlands), and the 2016 Communicating Astronomy with the Public conference (Medellin, Colombia). From 2006-2013 he has served on the instructional staff of The University of Arizona Astronomy Camp (hosted at Kitt Peak National Observatory), for which he developed a series of guided listening experiences highlighting connections between music and science.
A dedicated church musician, Whitehouse is currently Director of Music at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Lexington, SC. From 2010-2013, he served as Director of Music and Liturgy at Christ the King Episcopal Church, Tucson. At Christ the King, he played the organ for all services, directed adult and Royal School of Church Music (RSCM)-based children’s choirs, and led liturgical music planning. He was previously organist/choirmaster at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Sierra Vista, AZ, where he oversaw the successful restoration of the church’s pipe organ.
Whitehouse holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance from The University of Arizona. His teachers included Dr. Pamela Decker (organ and composition), Dr. Jarita Holbrook (cultural astronomy), and Dr. Janet Sturman (ethnomusicology). He completed undergraduate studies in organ performance at The University of South Carolina, and holds the Master of Music degree in organ performance from The University of Arizona.