Praised by The New Yorker as an “exceptional young artist” and by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune as a “major talent,” American pianist Matthew Graybil has performed as a recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Mexico. He made his orchestral debut at age 14 and has subsequently performed with the Fort Worth Symphony and the National Chamber Players among many others.
Highlights of Graybil’s solo career include recitals in many of the world’s music capitals, including New York, Paris, Chicago, Baltimore, Mexico City, Philadelphia, Toronto and Washington DC in venues such as Carnegie’s Zankel Hall, Subculture, Le Poisson Rouge, Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center and Lincoln Center. In addition, Graybil is an avid chamber musician, with over 300 performances to his credit. Artists with whom he has collaborated include Itzhak Perlman and the Enso and Ulysses String Quartets.
As an exponent of music from the 20th and 21st century, he recently gave the New York premiere of Walter Piston’s Concerto for Two Pianos Soli. He has appeared on radio and television, including Vermont Public Radio, Connecticut Public Radio, WNYC’s The Leonard Lopate Show, WQXR’s Young Artist Showcase and Reflections from the Keyboard, WWFM’s The Piano Matters hosted by David Dubal, CBS Chicago and PBS, where he was featured in the documentary Beyond the Practice Room.
He has been a prize-winner in national and international competitions including the New York Piano Competition, the MTNA/Yamaha National Piano Competition, the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts competition, the Juilliard Gina Bachauer Competition, the Nina Wideman International Piano Competition and the Missouri Southern International Piano. Mr. Graybil has been invited to festivals including Pianofest in the Hamptons, the Ravinia Steans Institute, the Perlman Music Program, the Sarasota Music Festival and the American Academy in Fontainebleau, France.
Matthew’s debut album was released in 2012 as part of the Victor Elmaleh Collection. In a review of the album, Fanfare Magazine wrote that “he becomes so at one with the [music] that the line between composer and performer vanishes. Matthew Graybil’s playing marks him … as one of the most sensitive, poetic young pianists to debut on record in recent memory.” A record of Chopin’s Complete Etudes, Op. 10 was released by the Chopin Project in 2016 and his recording, with Larry Weng, of Walter Piston’s Concerto for two pianos soli was released in February 2018 for Steinway & Sons records. He returned to Steinway’s recording studio in August, 2018 to record selections from his Debussy centennial celebration program entitled “Debussy: His friends and his enemies” which is now available on Steinway Spirio pianos worldwide. In March 2020, he released his most recent album with violinist Niv Ashkenazi, entitled “Violins of Hope” for Albany Records.
Graybil began his piano studies at age 6 and was a pupil of Harvey Wedeen for six years. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Jerome Lowenthal and Matti Raekallio. He has given masterclasses at music schools and universities internationally and served as a faculty member of the Lancaster International Piano Festival.
Matthew Graybil resides in New York City.