Praised for “a tone and approach entrancing from the outset” (New York Concert Review, Inc.), pianist Matthew Figel is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Eastman School of Music, where he studies with Marina Lomazov and Joseph Rackers. He also earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Eastman under Nelita True.

Matthew is a top prizewinner of several competitions, including the Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition, the Harold Protsman Classical Period Competition, and the Eastman Concerto Competition, where he became one of the youngest pianists ever to solo with the Eastman Philharmonia. In 2022, he was awarded Sixth Prize at the International J.S. Bach Competition in Leipzig, where he performed with the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra.

Recent highlights include a workshop with Mitsuko Uchida as part of Carnegie Hall’s Perspectives series and a fellowship at the 2022 Gilmore Piano Festival. He has played in master classes for Richard Goode, Simone Dinnerstein, Anne-Marie McDermott, Jon Nakamatsu, and Paul Lewis.

Matthew has appeared at venues such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and has performed concertos with the Orchard Park and Round Rock symphonies. A devoted chamber musician, he was the inaugural recipient of the Verdehr Trio Award at Eastman and received the John Celentano Award for Excellence in Chamber Music.

Formerly Artist-in-Residence at Valley Manor Living Center in Rochester, New York, he gave monthly recitals for the senior community. Passionate about early keyboards, he has studied with Lisa Goode Crawford, Mike Cheng-Yu Lee, and Malcolm Bilson. Last summer, he gave a fortepiano recital at the Concertgebouw Brugge and will make his debut with the American Classical Orchestra at Alice Tully Hall in the 2025/2026 season.