Matthew Whitaker

Matthew Whitaker’s love for playing music began at age three after his grandfather gave him a small Yamaha keyboard. At age 13 he became the youngest artist endorsed by Hammond. At 15 he became the youngest Yamaha Jazz Piano Artist. In 2022 he joined the ranks of the Nord Keyboard Artists.

Matthew tours in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia, performing on prestigious stages such as the Apollo Theater, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as well as at music festivals at home and internationally.

He has appeared on television programs such as FOX TV's Showtime at the Apollo, the Today Show, The Harry Connick Jr. Show, Ellen, and 60 Minutes.   

Matthew recently starred, produced, and scored the ALL ARTS documentary About Tomorrow, and also composed the original score for the film Starkeisha which is currently streaming on Hulu. As an advocate for persons with disabilities, Matthew has assisted multiple companies in testing the accessibility features of their products and software. Matthew and other disabled persons appear in the Apple TV commercial “The Greatest,” currently running on national television. 

In 2019 and 2020, he was the winner of the ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award for original compositions Emotions and Underground. 

Matthew has three studio albums: Outta The Box, Now Hear This, and Connections for which he collaborated with Derrick Hodge, Ray Chew, Jon Batiste, Christian McBride, and Regina Carter.