Described as “one to watch” (Jazz Views 2025) Matthew Kilner is an active musician, educator, and award-winning saxophonist, currently based in Glasgow. Matthew regularly performs at festivals and jazz clubs around the UK and abroad including; Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, London's Pizza Express Live, and the 2023 Regensburg Jazz Festival. In 2019, Matthew won the prestigious Ogston Performance Prize whilst attending the University of Aberdeen, in 2023 he reached the final of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Jazz Musician of the Year competition and most recently played Tenor Saxophone with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra in their 2025 Weather Report project featuring Laurence Cottle. He is an established band leader and has recently released his debut album “The Space In Between” which features Alyn Cosker, Paul Harrison and Ewan Hastie. The album has received critical acclaim and has been described as an “exceptional debut”.
New EP release 1/5/26
I am very pleased to announce that I will be releasing a new EP titled Lives Move Like Circles on the 1st of May 2026. It will be released on the label Pyrofon and will be available on vinyl for a very limited run. To pre-order your vinyl record follow this link.
The music was recorded back in January in just one afternoon and it features some of my absolute favourite musicians of Graeme Stephen, Elie Afif, Kevin Henderson and Neil Birse. This EP represents a very different direction from my debut album and I’m very excited to hear what you all think of it. Here is the 3rd and final track titled Hygge.
Recent Reviews
Matthew Kilner Quintet 21st March 2026
As part of the 2026 Aberdeen Jazz Festival I had the opportunity to perform with my fantastic quintet of Alyn, Paul, Graeme and Ali. There was a fantastic energy in the sold-out Cowdray Hall that evening, it’s certainly a gig that will stay with me for a long time. Here is a short excerpt of Maria Robertson’s lovely review of the gig:
‘Throughout the full ninety minute set the musicians coordinate beautifully, all very respectful of each other. Kilner leaves the stage when he is not playing, but otherwise is front and centre leading the group. Each individual has a chance of a solo to show off their extraordinary talents.”
You can read the full review here
Scottish National Jazz Orchestra 26-28th September 2025
I recently had the privilege of playing as part of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra for their project, performing the music of ‘Weather Report’. The band was led by Alyn Cosker and featured guest Laurence Cottle on Electric Bass. Here is a short excerpt from Patrick Hadfield’s review of the project’s opening night in Edinburgh:
“Birdland had a superb sense of groove. Whereas for a certain generation of Londoners, the tune is hackneyed due to its overuse as a ratio ident, the SNJO and arranger Bill Dobbins instilled it with new life. Featuring solos by guest Laurence Cottle on electric bass and Cosker, there followed a frenetic saxophone duel between Konrad Wisniewski and Matthew Kilner, the latter in his first outing with the band. They drove each other to great heights – literally in Kilner’s case as he took his soloing into the soprano sax’s stratosphere.”
You can read the full review here
Upcoming Dates
12/12/25
Cowdray Hall
Kilner/Birse + Friends
Aberdeen
8pm
18/12/25
The Outhouse
PLAYTIME
Edinburgh
9pm
04/12/25
The Basement
Kilner/Afif/Ganguli
Glasgow
9pm
28/11/25
The Jazz Bar
Kevin Henderson Band
Edinburgh
9.15pm