At the age of 20, Matt won the 1996
Grand Prix de Chartres, considered by many to be the most prestigious organ competition in the world, and proceeded for a number of years to perform worldwide in live, radio, and TV appearances, with symphony orchestras, and for the debuts of new instruments. But Matt found that his greatest joy and inspiration in close collaborations with other artists. And he was always looking for a way to bring to the table the
rest of his musical identity, as an improviser, a jazz musician, as one with diverse influences and an heart for groove. Taking a step back from solo performance, he entered into the time of musical exploration and experimentation that eventually yielded the Neos Ensemble and Third Strand Music, a new company dedicated to creatively resourcing and building up the independent music community. Matt is also pianist for the Ike Sturm Ensemble, a NYC-based contemporary jazz outfit noted for its multimedia approach, incorporating the stunning artwork of Madeline Sturm.
As a solo performer, Matt was renowned for his interpretation of Bach, and of contemporary works. Of his debut recording (An Austrian Neurotic in Graf Kaiserling’s Court, 1998), critic Bernard Durman of The Diapason worte, "This CD contains some of the finest Bach playing I have ever heard, from any artist, on any organ, period…prize-winning playing from a prize winning artist!" His next release, Syntax (2001) was a vivid collage of contemporary music and improvisations.
Matt is a two-time graduate of the Eastman School of Music (BMus and MA), where he studied with David Higgs, Douglas Humpherys, and others. He lives in Rochester, NY, but is an honorary Brooklynite. (He’s there so much that they know him at all the service areas in between.) He shares his life with his wife of 8 years, Alisa Curlee, a highly sought-after collaborative pianist, and with an elderly-but-brilliant Border Collie named Rebo.
