You probably do not know Matt Wong by name, and that is the way he likes it. "I work behind the scenes," says Matt. "My job is to serve the song, and the artist. When an artist's creative vision is realized - that's magical to me."

 

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 played his first professional gig at age 13. Having set his sights on a career as a professional musician by age 15, Matt began studying with guitarist, and composer Bruce Arnold in New York City, and credits Arnold for laying much of the foundation for his playing today. Two years later, Matt auditioned for and was awarded a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music, where he studied with teachers such as Bruce Bartlett, Mick Goodrick, and John Damian, and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree in Contemporary Writing and Production. Matt also holds a Master of Music degree in Jazz Performance from New York University, and studied with Adam Rogers and John Scofield.

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As a working guitarist, Matt has a deep love for the recording studio, and a profound respect for the art of recording music. "It's incredibly rewarding to collaborate with an artist and help bring a new piece of music to life" says Matt. "I put together my first home recording rig in 2017 to record remotely for an artist based in the UK, and it's slowly evolved into my current home studio." From his professional grade home studio, and commercial studios in New York City, Matt has recorded for producers such as Emmy Award winner Jeffrey Lesser, and Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown, as well as independent artists in eight different countries. In addition to a wide variety of guitars, Matt carries other stringed instruments in his arsenal such as mandolin, banjo, bouzouki, and octave mandolin.

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Live performance has taken Matt across the country from the Blue Note in New York City to Catalina Jazz Club in Los Angeles. Matt has played with artists such as Grammy Award winner Earl Klugh, Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford, and Tony Award nominee Masi Asare, and was an original member of the band for the 1st National Tour of hit Broadway show Come From Away. Back at home in New York, Matt has played for Wicked, Paradise Square, Come From Away, MJ, The Book of Mormon, and Shucked on Broadway. Additionally, Matt played guitar and banjo on the 2022 New York City Center production of Parade, and on the Tony Award winning show's cast album after it transferred to Broadway for a limited run in 2023.

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