Matthew Stevens grew up in Toronto, graduating from the Etobicoke School of the Arts to attend Berklee College of Music. During his time in Berklee, he was fortunate to study with many renowned jazz artists such as Joe Lovano, Pat Metheny, Mick Goodrick, Wayne Krantz, Dave Samuels, Hal Crook, and Yakov Gubanov. While still a student he performed with such legendary jazz luminaries as Gary Burton, Abe Laboriel, George Duke, and Lylah Hathaway. In 2004, Stevens graduated Suma Cum Laude, and was awarded the Guitar Department’s highest honor, the Jimi Hendrix Award. Having been awarded a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, he moved to New York City in 2006
As a professional musician, Stevens has shared the stage and recorded with many of contemporary music’s finest musicians including Christian Scott, Donald Harrison, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Victor Bailey, Jason Moran, Rodney Holmes, Aaron Goldberg, Jeff Lorber, Aaron Parks, Jacky Terrasson, Esperanza Spalding, Casey Benjamin, Jaleel Shaw, and Taylor Eigsti.
His playing has been applauded in numerous publications worldwide including The New York Times, Downbeat, Jazz Times, The Financial Times, Billboard Magazine, Los Angeles Times, and All About Jazz. He has toured extensively in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia and the Caribbean. He has performed at many of the major jazz festivals—Montreux, North Sea, Newport, Montreal, Monterey, Fujitsu, Anguilla BET, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage—and renowned venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, The Kennedy Center, The Blue Note clubs in New York, Tokyo and Milan, and The Moscow International Music House.
As an educator, Stevens has been on faculty at Berklee College of Music’s summer guitar sessions since 2004, and gives clinics and seminars in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. He continues to write for and perform with the Christian Scott quintet, as well as with Walter Smith and Mark Small’s Bronze, Rodney Holmes’ Lithium Tree, Jamire Williams’ ERI-MAJ, and Ben Williams’ Sound Effect.
Stevens will release his own debut album this year which will feature some of New York’s most talented and innovative young musicians including Walter Smith, John Escreet, Logan Richardson, Jamire Williams, Milton Fletcher, and Eric Doob. His music, including a live EP, can be heard and downloaded at mattstevensmusic.com/records
