Education & Professional History
Westminster College, BMus; University of Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music, MMus; University of Minnesota, DMA
At Carleton since 2005.
Highlights & Recent Activity
American pianist Matthew McCright has performed extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific and on such prestigious stages as Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and Ireland’s National Concert Hall. He has thrilled audiences and critics alike with imaginative programming that places the greatest piano repertoire alongside the music of today’s most innovative composers. A native of Pennsylvania, McCright now resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is a member of the piano faculty of Carleton College. An accomplished recording artist, McCright has released eight solo recordings; his most recent Hanging by a Thread on the Proper Canary label, What is Left Behind also on the Proper Canary label, Endurance on the Vox Novus label, as well as three albums on innova Records (Second Childhood, A Waltz through the Vapor, and Blender), the piano works of Gene Gutchë on Centaur Records, and the piano music of Olivier Messiaen on Albany Records. His solo touring shows include Evening Preludes, The People’s Music, Contemplations: The Music of Olivier Messiaen, Connecting Flights, There and Back Again, Forward Looking Back, and Endurance.
A four-time winner of the Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative, McCright’s affinity for contemporary music and curiosity in seeking new sound worlds has led him to premiere numerous pieces, and has collaborated with such composers as Pauline Oliveros, Augusta Read Thomas, Paul Dresher, Michael Gordon, Mary Ellen Childs, Julia Wolfe, Mark Anthony Turnage, Terry Riley, Alvin Lucier, Amy Williams, Kirsten Broberg, Daniel Nass, Laura Caviani, Andrea Mazzariello, Sean Friar, Justin Merritt, Dorothy Hindman, Robert Voisey, Christopher Coleman, Kyong Mee Choi, Ingrid Stölzel, Justin Rubin, Mike McFerron, Reinaldo Moya, Stephen Andrew Taylor, David Evan Thomas, Edie Hill, Linda Buckley, Garrett Sholdice, Razak Abdul-Aziz, Greg Hutter, and Judith Lang Zaimont among many others.
McCright’s festival participation includes Bang on a Can at MassMOCA, Printing House Festival of New Music (Dublin), Late Music Festival (UK), Vox Novus, SEAMUS, Hampden-Sydney Chamber Music Festival, Engelbach-Hart, Kodály Institute, Perilous Night, Fringe, Bridge, Spark Festival of Electronic Music, SPLICE, Festival of Lakes, Rayuela, Oh My Ears, Source Song, Seward Arts, Zeitgeist Early Music, Duquesne University’s Summer Music, Music 2000, CCM Village Opening, and Minnesota Composers Alliance, as well as programs for the American Composers Forum across the country. He has been featured in articles in the NewMusicBox, Tutti, and Voice magazines and in radio broadcasts across the globe. He has performed in collaboration with a variety of ensembles including Ensemble 61, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, dal niente, Mirandola Ensemble, Wild and Wulliman, La Bonne Chanson, Intersections, Gypsy Hocket, Renegade Ensemble, Zeitgeist, Taipei Trio, Balkanicus, New Sound, New Century Piano Duo, Dixie Five, Composer’s Ensemble, Westminster Triptych, WC Jazz Ensemble, and with countless other chamber music groups. He is currently the Director of Music at Saints Martha and Mary Episcopal Church. He tours regularly with violinist, Francesca Anderegg. Since 2009, he performs internationally with flutist Linda Chatterton as part of the Chatterton-McCright Duo. Their 2016 album French Connections was released on the Proper Canary label.
McCright completed his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Piano Performance from the University of Minnesota, Master of Music Degree in Piano from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati and earned his Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance, Magna Cum Laude, from Westminster College. His past teachers include Lydia Artymiw, Lisa Moore, Nancy Zipay DeSalvo, and Richard Morris. He is represented by Proper Canary Artist Services. For more information please visit: www.matthewmccright.org