Biography
Biography
New York City percussionist, Matt Smallcomb, performs in a wide variety of genres including orchestral music, chamber music, jazz, pop and theatre. Having grown up in a family drummers, Matt’s grandfather, father, uncle, and older brother exposed him to a variety of music from a young age. While studying classical percussion, Matt was simultaneously playing jazz and performing with The Collective, a Philadelphia based live Hip-Hop group with opening credits for The Roots, Busta Rhymes, Bone Thugs & Harmony, Arrested Development, Afro Man, All 4 One, Ja-Rule, Jurassic 5, Naughty by Nature, O-Town, and The Wailers, performing over 150 dates a year.
As an orchestral percussionist Matt has performed with the Seattle Symphony, Vermont Symphony, New World Symphony, American Composers Orchestra, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and he has recorded with The Philharmonic Orchestra of The Americas for Sony Entertainment with Latin stars Ely Guerra, Denise Gutierrez and Natalia Lafourcade. He has had the opportunity to tour and travel, both nationally and internationally, with credits throughout the United States and Europe including recent engagements in Spain, Poland, Italy, Japan and Mexico. Matt performs regularly at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center with The National Choral and The Distinguished Concert Artists International. He has had the opportunity to perform in a variety of situations with various artists including, Paquito D’ Rivera, Dawn Upshaw, Whoopi Goldberg, Judie Collins, Bob Becker, Lauren Flanigan, Don Rickles, DJ Radar, and Kenny Rogers. Matt is currently Principal Percussionist for the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra in Duluth Minnesota, Section Percussionist for Symphony in C in Philadelphia Pennsylvania and he has recently served as Principal Timpanist for the Crested Butte Music Festival in Colorado in 2012.
As a chamber musician, Matt has also recorded and performed with Alarm Will Sound, The Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, New York Percussion Group, and has performed with The National Wind Ensemble, New York Wind Symphony, and Bronx Arts Ensemble.
Alongside his orchestra career, Matt is currently performing with the Jesse Lynch Trio, an experimental piano trio based in Brooklyn New York collaborating on recordings and working for the Club 86 radio show, and The Tap Room Trio, a Philadelphia based Organ trio. He has performed and recorded with different artists and groups ranging from jazz, pop to funk, including artists Daniel Rodriguez, Jesse Green, Ron Stabinsky, Dawn Chavous, Willy Waldman, The Indago Moon Brass Band, The Five Percent, and was a member of the percussion show Glank.
In addition to his performing career Matt is also an active educator, he is currently adjunct percussion faculty at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He has previously taught at Montclair State University, as well as presented master classes at The University of Minnesota Duluth and Interlochen Arts Academy.
Matt has studied percussion with teachers Marko Marcinko (Dave Liebman Group), Bob Nowak, Barry Centanni (Orchestra of St. Luke’s), Michael Werner (Met Opera), and James Preiss (Steve Reich).
Matt Smallcomb holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and a Master’s Degree in Music Performance from The Mannes College of Music in New York City. Presently, Matt is an artist endorser for Zildjian Cymbals, Innovative Percussion, Evans Drumheads, Pure Sound Snares, and the Noble and Cooley Drum Company.
