Matthew Krell

Matthew Krell is an award-winning pianist, composer, and accomplished actor who has been engrossed in the performing arts for seventeen years. He has been recognized in competitions, festivals, and masterclasses in Canada and the States and been praised by world- renowned leaders in the disciplines of acting, piano, and composition. Recent highlights include an arts grant from the British Columbia Arts Council, first place in the California MTNA Young Artists' Competition, first place from the PianoHouse International Competition in the Jazz Category resulting in a performance at Carnegie Hall, second place at the Brevard Music Institute’s Piano Competition, and third place in the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition Concerto Division.

Krell is noted for his effortless technique, virtuosic repertoire, comedic sensibilities, and audience appeal. He is a sought-after collaborative artist, with over five thousand hours of accompanying experience spanning choral, orchestral, theatrical, instrumental, vocal, and session recording fields. He holds his Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music with an advanced certificate of theory, as well as the rare Licentiate of the Royal Conservatory in Piano Performance with distinction.

At the piano, Matthew continually challenges himself, enhancing his skills and delving into a diverse range of genres and instruments—from the Harpsichord and Organ to Synth and Keytar. His knack for blending classical roots with contemporary flair is evident in his original albums: Winter, Doxology Vol. I, O Sacred Head, and Vortex. Beyond the well-known composers, Matthew also introduces audiences to the lesser-known talents and overlooked pieces from history, as well as contemporary compositions. A passionate student of jazz, his style and sound have drawn comparisons to Art Tatum and Dave Brubeck. Virtuosic arrangements of pop- genre hits, original compositions, and contemporary settings of hymn tunes make regular appearances on recital programs and albums. His compositional style has been described as “contemporary Busoni”, “wildly imaginative” and “cool”.

In addition to piano, Matthew has seen success as an actor on stages spanning local theatre productions to Off-Broadway in New York City. He was recognized multiple years in competitive festivals with solo presentations of prose, drama, and poetry, resulting in performances at honors recitals, galas, and fundraisers. The area of musical theatre bridges his love of music and of acting, having led to opportunities accompanying and coaching soloists, groups, studio sessions, and full large-scale productions since the age of fifteen.

Matthew holds a quadruple-emphasis Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance, Pedagogy, Sacred Music and Music Composition summa cum laude from The Master’s University and a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from University of Southern California Thornton School of Music where he received the outstanding graduate award. He is finishing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at USC as a graduate teaching assistant with emphases in jazz, choral music, and music law. He has also completed diplomas from the Trinity College London in Speech Arts & Drama and Musical Theatre with distinction.