Matthew Strachan

Matthew Strachan
Background information
Born	December 11, 1970 (1970-12-11) (age 40)[1]
Origin	London[1]
Genres	Theatre, Soundtrack
Occupations	Composer, Lyricist
Years active	1986 - 2011
Associated acts	Klaus Harmony, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

Matthew Strachan (pronounced /ˈstrɔːn/ or /ˈstrækən/, born 11 December 1970) is an English composer and songwriter.

His best known work is the music for the television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? with his father Keith.^[1] He has also contributed music to other television programmes such as The Detectives,^[2] Question Time, Winning Lines^[3] and Britain's Brainiest along with jingles for several television commercials.

Biography

Strachan trained at Dartington College of Arts and Goldsmiths College, University of London. He worked as a soundtrack composer throughout the 1990s creating music for television, radio and theatre productions^[4] until concentrating on songwriting in Nashville, Tennessee. Following two years in America he created score and lyrics for Next Door's Baby,^[5] a stage musical written with his wife, Bernie Gaughan (also known as novelist, Bernadette Strachan.)

Music for stage

• About Bill, Landor Theatre
• Hungry Ghosts, Orange Tree Theatre
• The Promise, Orange Tree Theatre
• The Making of Moo, Orange Tree Theatre
• Silk, Workshopped at the Orange Tree Theatre
• Last Train to Nibroc, Orange Tree Theatre
• Next Door's Baby, Orange Tree Theatre
• Happy Birthday Dear Alice, Orange Tree Theatre
• The Lodger, Theatre Royal, Windsor
• The Fly, Paul Farrah Productions
• Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles, Orange Tree Theatre
• The Good Woman of Setzuan, Orange Tree Theatre

Music for television

• Money, BBC2
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Celador Productions, International
• Winning Lines, Celador Productions, International
• Britain's Brainiest, Celador Productions, International
• Question Time, Mentorn Films, BBC
• Car Wars, Mentorn Films, BBC
• The Hypnotic World of Paul McKenna, Celador Productions, ITV
• The Detectives, Celador Productions, BBC
• Canned Carrott, Celador Productions, BBC
• The Jasper Carrott Trial, Celador Productions, BBC
• The Ward, Granada Television, ITV
• World Sport Esprit, TWI, International
• Legends of Wimbledon, TWI, International
• Scratchy and Co, Mentorn Films, ITV

Music featured in movies

• Extract, Miramax
• Slumdog Millionaire, Fox Searchlight
• Millions, Mission Pictures
• Celador Films Theme, Celador Films
• A Kind of Hush, First Film Company/Metrodome

Music for radio

• Ben-Hur, Focus on the Family, US Radio
• The Gemini Apes, BBC
• The Jasper Carrott Trial, BBC
• Carrott's Comedy Choice, BBC
• Nobblers, BBC

Discography

• Music for Theatre, Nessus Records (2011)
• Klaus Harmony - Oeuvre Cinq, HarmonSink (2010)
• Even Warren Beatty (with Tim Whitnall), Nono Records (2009)
• Klaus Harmony - Oeuvre 4, HarmonSink (2009)
• Speed Limit Monkey, Nono Records (2008)
• 37203, Nono Records (2008)
• Flot Some, Jet Some, Nono Records (2008)
• Klaus Harmony - Oeuvre Derde, HarmonSink (2008)
• Klaus Harmony - Oeuvre Zwei, HarmonSink (2007)
• Klaus Harmony - Oeuvre I, HarmonSink (2006)
• Next Door's Baby, Nessus Records (2006)
• Save The King's Head, Nono Records (2000)
• Who Wants to be a Millionaire? - Soundtrack, Celador Records (2000)
• Who Wants to be a Millionaire? - Interactive Game, Sony PlayStation, Disney Interactive (2000)
• Fallen Angels, Nono Records (1999)
• Toy Story Sing Along, Disney (1997)
• The Rock Serious Electric Roadshow, Nono Records (1993)

Awards

• ASCAP/PRS Awards, Most played TV Theme, 2009
• ASCAP/PRS Awards, Most played TV Theme, 2008
• ASCAP/PRS Awards, Most played TV Theme, 2007
• ASCAP/PRS Awards, Most played TV Theme, 2006
• ASCAP/PRS Awards, Most played TV Theme, 2005
• ASCAP/PRS Awards, Most played TV Theme, 2004
• ASCAP 17th Annual Film & TV Awards, Top TV Theme, 2002
• ASCAP 16th Annual Film & TV Awards, Top TV Theme, 2001
• ASCAP/PRS Awards, Most played TV Theme, 2000

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Nick Smurthwaite (21 March 2005). "Million pound notes - Keith Strachan". The Stage. http://www.thestage.co.uk/features/feature.php/6991. Retrieved 2010-03-23. 
2. ^ The Detectives IMDb Credits
3. ^ Winning Lines IMDb Credits
4. ^ Screened Music Interview
5. ^ Next Door's Baby entry at London Theatre Database

External links

• Matthew Strachan at the Internet Movie Database
• Matthew Strachan's Website
• Official website for the musical, 'Next Door's Baby'
• Mary James Music Publishing website

Persondata
Name	Strachan, Matthew
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	11 December 1970
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death