Matthew Nowlan (he/him) enjoys a multifaceted career as a performing arts administrator, professional violist, and political scientist. He is currently a regular member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and also performs with the Sinfonia da Camera and the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed as Principal Viola of the University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra. Under the baton of renowned conductors, Matthew has performed at internationally acclaimed venues including Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center in Chicago, Carnegie Hall in New York City, Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles, Foellinger Great Hall at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, St. Stephens Cathedral in Vienna, Austria, and Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria. As a member of the Bravura String Quartet from 2016 to 2020, he performed at the Chicago Symphony Center, the Hemmens Cultural Center, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Chicago, in addition to numerous recitals, weddings, and community events.

 

Matthew started learning the violin at age 5 with the late Anne Donahue and Takaharu Matsunaga before becoming a full-time violist in high school. He continued his viola studies with Professor Liz Freivogel and chamber music with Professor Daniel McDonough, both from the renowned Jupiter String Quartet in residence at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Other notable mentors include Teng Li, Kirsten Docter, Members of the East Coast Chamber Orchestra, Salley Koo, Denise Djokic, Nelson Lee, Rudolf Haken, Ken-David Masur, Carolyn Watson, Stephen Alltop, Ian Hobson, and the late Matthew Mantell to name a few. In addition to his music studies, Matthew holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with research concentrating in World Politics and Global Business.

 

As a passionate music educator, Matthew has privately taught violin, viola, and chamber music, and also currently serves as the Marketing and Events Director of the Midwest Fine Arts Society, Administrator of the Midwest Conservatory of Music, and has previously worked at the Bowdoin International Music Festival and Institute in Brunswick, Maine. In 2025-26, he will serve as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Arts Administration Fellow, supporting programs of the Negaunee Music Institute. With his interdisciplinary backgrounds as a political scientist, professional musician, and a strong advocate for music education and administration, Matthew approaches every project with creative ambition and a deep commitment to expanding access to the arts. Besides his love for music, Matthew avidly travels, enjoys cooking, and loves spending time with his cat Louie.