Matthew Glover was a musician from Placentia, the Netherlands. He died on May 16 while trying to reach the base camp on Mount Everest. (Submitted by Matthew Glover)
Friends and relatives mourn the loss of Matthew Glover, a musician from Placenza, the Netherlands
Glover died on May 16 in Nepal while traveling to Everest Base Camp, where he succumbed to altitude sickness. He was 50 years old.
“He was just a wonderful soul,” said Glover’s longtime friend and fellow musician Larry Foley.
“Matthew was a special person. I’m sorry for the things he had to do, musically and so on. Someone as creative and brilliant as him still had a lot to give to the world.”
“On another level musically”
After graduating from high school, Glover moved from Newfoundland to Boston, where he attended Berkeley College of Music. He graduated with a degree in music performance in 1993 and has given numerous concerts in Boston, New York, Florida and other places in North America.
Glover returned to Newfoundland in 2016, where he received a master’s degree in performance and pedagogy from Memorial University.
Foley said his friend is always ready for a concert and often performs in the St. John area. He said his music career was just beginning.
“He was a musician at a level most people probably couldn’t understand,” Foley said.
“The word genius is thrown around, but I certainly think Matthew was on another level musically.”
Glover released his album, Lute Music by JS Bach and John Dowland, in 2021. In an interview with CBC Radio after the album’s release, the late musician said that Berklee International Nights, where international students perform music from their home countries, have led until his rediscovery of traditional Newfoundland music.
Weekend AM13: 57Weekend AM pays tribute to NL musician Matthew Glover
Paula Gale talks to Larry Foley about his late friend Matthew Glover – we’ll also hear an excerpt from Matthew’s role in First Listen
“I took it for granted growing up around the bay,” Glover said at the time.
“It’s interesting how when you leave home, you have a different point of view.”
A dreamer with a relentless sense of adventure
As a child, Foley said he remembered his friend as kind and articulate and that his work knew no bounds.
Glover was soft and calm, Foley said, and his mind was always somewhere else. He was a dreamer who never stopped learning and looking for new experiences.
Matthew Glover, left, and childhood friend Larry Foley, right. Foley says Glover will be remembered as a talented musician and a wonderful soul. (Submitted by Larry Foley)
“Matthew was a very adventurous man. He was always in demand,” Foley said.
“He once rode his bike from Boston to Newfoundland. So the thought of him doing extraordinary things that require a lot of spirit and strength doesn’t surprise me. “
Glover loved to travel the world, visiting places like Japan, France, India and Singapore. With the easing of travel restrictions COVID-19, Glover’s mistake took him to the Himalayas, which will be the last stop of his journey.
Glover was cremated and blessed at the Pashupatinat Temple in Nepal. His family is in the process of repatriating his ashes to Newfoundland, Foley said.
Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
Add Comment