MUSE • Musicians United for Social Equity

Biography

Matt Wong is a guitarist, and educator based in New York City. Originally from Princeton Junction, NJ, Matt began taking guitar lessons at age six, and has dedicated over two decades to playing his instrument. Having set his sights on a career as a professional musician by age 15, Matt studied with guitarist, and composer Bruce Arnold in New York City during his high school years, and credits Arnold for laying much of the foundation for his playing. Matt went on to attend Berklee College of Music, where he studied with teachers such as Bruce Bartlett, Mick Goodrick, and John Damian.

As a working guitarist, Matt has a deep love for the recording studio, and a profound respect for the art of recording music. After getting a taste of studio work as a college student, Matt assembled a basic home recording rig to adapt to an ever changing music business, which over the years, has evolved into his current home studio. From his professional grade home studio, and commercial studios in New York City, Matt has recorded for producers and artists such as Emmy Award winner Jeffrey Lesser, and Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown, and independent artists in eight different countries. Matt’s playing has also been heard on TV on NBC’s The Today Show and MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and on commercials. In addition to a wide variety of vintage and modern guitars and amplifiers, Matt carries other stringed instruments in his arsenal such as mandolin, ukulele, banjo, bouzouki, and octave mandolin.

Live performance has taken Matt across North America from the Blue Note in New York City to Catalina Jazz Club in Los Angeles. Matt has played for or shared the stage with artists such as Earl Klugh, Duncan Sheik, Stephen Schwartz, Kristin Chenoweth, and Tafari Anthony, and was an original band member for the 1st National Tour of hit Broadway show Come From Away. Back at home in New York, Matt has played for more than ten Broadway shows, including hit shows The Lion King, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, Come From Away, MJ, and The Outsiders. Additionally, Matt played guitar and banjo on the Grammy Award nominated Broadway cast album of Parade, featuring Ben Platt.

As an educator, Matt has had the opportunity to give master classes/clinics at high schools, contribute articles to Guitar World Magazinefor their lessons section, teach at New York University as an adjunct instructor, and speak as a panelist at Berklee NYC. When he is not working on music, Matt enjoys pursuing his hobby of aviation, and holds a private pilot license with an instrument rating.