Sixteen-year-old US pianist and musical prodigy Matthew Whitaker will visit the UK in April 2018 to play two intimate and exclusive live shows in Milton Keynes and London.
First discovering a keyboard at three years old and self-teaching himself the Hammond organ from the age of nine, Matthew’s outstanding natural talent has helped him to achieve a series of ‘world firsts’: The youngest ever artist to be endorsed by Hammond in its eighty plus year history at only thirteen, subsequently the youngestever musician to join the elite group of Yamaha endorsed pianists at fifteen, and winning the Outstanding Soloist Award from New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Charles Mingus High School Competition and the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition all before the age of sixteen.
This list of accolades would be more than enough to pique the interest of critics and discerning music lovers alike, but the fact that Matthew happens to be a blind musician adds a whole new level to how exceptional he is as a performing artist.
Matthew began last year by being named one of ‘17 People To Watch’ in 2017 by one of New Jersey's largest newspapers, The Record. This feature was then picked by USA Today and published throughout the States. He closed 2017 by being listed as one of Crain's New York Business's ‘20 Under 20’, a highly influential list that highlights young people under twenty years old that have made significant accomplishments toward their professional goals.
Even at such a young age, Matthew’s soaring career has put him into contact with a plethora of famous musicians and industry figures, all of whom have recognised his potential as a world-class artist. From Wynton Marsalis to Stevie Wonder, Dr Lonnie Smith to Quincy Jones - each of these hugely successful icons have championed Matthew individually.
Matthew has collaborated with an array of outstanding players including Christian McBride, Regina Carter, Cory Henry and the legendary Roy Ayers to name just a few. At 10 years old, he was invited to perform at Stevie Wonder’s induction into the Apollo Theatre’s Hall of Fame. He returned to the Apollo for FOX TV’s revival of SHOWTIME AT THE APOLLO in 2016, where he won the audience over with his rendition of Stevie Wonder’s classic ‘I Wish’. Matthew has also been interviewed and played live on a range of high profile US television shows including the immensely popular talk show ELLEN! and The Today Show on NBC.
An extensive touring schedule has seen Matthew perform at world famous venues such as Carnegie Hall and Jazz At Lincoln Centre. His 2017 debut album ‘Outta The Box’ (featuring Sammy Figueroa, Will Calhoun and Christian McBride) maintained aJazzweek chart positioning for 14 weeks and was listed as one of the best debuts of 2017 by The New York City Jazz Record. British music fans will have the chance to listen to some fantastic original compositions, as well as new arrangements of timeless classics. Now UK audiences will be able to witness Matthew Whitaker’s sensational talent in an intimate live setting, a rare chance to catch a rising star on his ascent into the stratosphere!
MATTHEW WHITAKER ON USA TODAY SHOW:
MATTHEW WHITAKER ON ELLEN DE GENERES SHOW:
2018 UK LIVE DATES:
13th April The Stables Milton Keynes
14th April Pizza Express Jazz London
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