Born in Kansas and based in Chicago for many years, Matt Long moved to Berlin in February 2020 and started working as music leader of The Ballery. Together with Ballery Director Simon Williams, Matt co-founded TransVision which broadcast for the first time in May 2020.
Matt graduated from Northwestern University’s School of Music in 1994. He has served as Assistant Conductor/Pianist for the 100 voice choir of the Chicago production of Too Hot to Handel: the Jazz-Gospel Messiah every year since its beginning in 2006, and has served as Projection Manager since the incorporation of projection to the annual production. He is also music director, arranger, and pianist for Songs of a Dream, the show featuring the voices and story of Too Hot to Handel’s own Rodrick Dixon and Alfreda Burke.
In 2015 Matthew released his first solo CD titled Love’s the Greatest Beauty, a collection of Spirituals arranged in jazz and jazz-gospel styles. In 2017 he released a follow-up album Wouldn’t Change a Stroke: Matt Long Band plays the music of Prince.
Matthew has appeared on stage with the Joffrey Ballet in performances of the Philip Glass score for In Creases, and was rehearsal pianist for the world premiere production of Christopher Wheeldon’s Nutcracker in 2016. In 2013, he wrote arrangements for The Joffrey Ballet’s winter fundraiser What is This Thing Called Love featuring Shelley MacArthur.
As a vocal and choral accompanist Matthew has played for the Community Renewal Chorus, Old St. Patrick’s Church concert choirs, and DePaul University among many others. For ten years he was the pianist for Lyric Opera’s Meet the Artist outreach programs and has accompanied several singers in recitals at the Chicago Cultural Center. He was Organist for the Community Church of Wilmette from 2007-2018 and received a Colleague certificate from the American Guild of Organists in 2015.
Born in Kansas and based in Chicago for many years, Matt moved to Berlin in February 2020 and started working as music leader of The Ballery.
