Matt Von Roderick was born into a musical family in a small town in Vermont. The son of violinist Alvin Shulman and pianist Elizabeth Von Stackelberg, Matt started on violin and piano at ages 3 and 4, moving to the baritone horn, and eventually finding his way to his gift as a trumpeter, singer and songwriter.
Matt has received numerous prizes and awards for his talents on the trumpet early on, including winning 1st place in the International Trumpet Guild Competition, winning 1st place in the National Trumpet Competition, being named a finalist in the Thelonius Monk International Competition, and winning the Yamaha Young Performing Artist Award, as well as having earned a Bachelor's of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Master's of Music from New York University, which he attended on fellowship through the prestigious Alberto Vilar Global Fellowship in the Performing Arts, dubbed “The Rhodes Scholarship of the Performing Arts”.
While based in New York City, Matt made his Carnegie Hall main stage debut as featured guest soloist with the New York Pops Orchestra through the invitation of Skitch Henderson, and was named top Jazz Artist by the Independent Music Awards as judged by rock music icon Lou Reed, being recognized for his highly expressive sound and pioneering approaches. In addition to his rich trumpet tone and poignant vocal delivery, one thing many audiences notice about Matt is his unique development of multiphonics; what All About Jazz calls "an other-worldly sound.something of a tour de force, he sings, plays, and uses his voice as a muted horn in a solo and duet with the trumpet.” Matt's spirit of innovation is also found in his development of the ShulmanSystem, a device he patented for promoting a more efficient and musical approach to the trumpet. Possessing a rare combination of commercial and progressive aesthetics, Matt has toured internationally, recorded and/or collaborated with such diverse artists as: Neil Diamond, Musiq Soulchild, Brad Mehldau, Super Furry Anilmals, DJ Spinna, John Corigliano, Lenny Pickett, Robert Sadin, John Medeski from MMW, Complexions Dance Company and Nneena Freelon. His work as a performer has been featured on NBC's Saturday Night Live, the nationally syndicated presidential race coverage on MSNBC, and as both soloist and composer at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Classically trained by Mark Gould of the Juilliard School, Matt has given New York and world premieres of Edward Green's 'Concerto in C', Marcello Toledo's 'Solitude of the World', Timothy Newman's 'Intervening Rift', and his own 'Works for Trumpet'.
It was in 2003 that Matt found a calling inside to begin connecting with audiences in a more direct and intimate way, and rediscovered his singing voice and penchant for writing pop songs. Matt’s first vocal performance had been at his Bar Mitzvah when he was 13 years old; he had written and sang his first pop song while in high school. Along with Matt’s return to singing immediately came the comparisons to a young Chet Baker. His first commercial release, under the name Matt Shulman and through the independent label Jaggo records in 2007, focused largely on this direction, earning him critical acclaim as “…a post-millennial Chet Baker.” (The New York Times), “…a modern day Chet Baker with a far seeing vision." (All About Jazz) and "A top drawer trumpeter who also sings like an angel obscured by a storm cloud." (JazzTimes).
In 2009 Matt adopted the professional name Matt Von Roderick (his birth name is Matthew Benjamin Roderick Shulman) and moved to Los Angeles to hone and develop a new sound he has been hearing in his mind’s ear. He is mixing the roots and foundation of older styles with modern textures, song structures and production, stepping more fully into one critic’s apt description of him as ".an amalgamation of Miles Davis and Radiohead” (AAJ). With his latest material, Matt’s songwriting is creating a classic, yet cutting-edge sound that crosses genres and generations, while his lyrical content places emphasis on the idea of self-realization and the rawness of the human experience. Matt has found his gift for creating memorable, well-crafted melodies and an emotional connection with his audience, and his listeners are being moved by his unique blend of heartfelt songwriting and authentic musicianship. Matt Von Roderick’s emotionally resonant voice, golden trumpet and hook-laden songwriting are captivating audiences and setting the stage for something special.
