Matthew Park
Cellist
Pc. Michelle KimAbout me
Matthew Park, is a Los Angeles based Cellist with diverse training and experience in the music industry.He is currently a co-founder and cellist of Splntrd Wood, a project-focused cello quartet whose mission is to “create fresh live music experiences that cross divides between musical genres by creating its own arrangements and presenting it anew through the inimitable and versatile sound of the cello”. Splntrd Wood has been featured on Sundays Live at LACMA, ASCAP’s New Music Friday playlist, Medieval Music of the Dales Festival in Yorkshire, England and have released their first album De lá pra cá, which explores original arrangements of Brazilian and Latin American music. They have collaborated with musicians such as Maria Da Barros and have premiered original works by composers Reena Esmail and Mark Carlson.As a chamber musician, Park has performed with the Kronos, American, and Telegraph Quartets, Owen Dalby of the St. Lawrence String Quartet, Sam Weiser of the Carpe Diem Quartet, Jennifer Culp, Dimitri Murrath, Ian Swensen, Amy Schwartz-Moretti, Cindy Wu, and Itamar Zorman. He has also collaborated with members of notable orchestras including the Los Angeles Chamber and Philharmonic orchestras, the San Francisco Symphony and Ballet orchestras and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He has studied chamber music under notable ensembles such as the American, Escher, Takacs, and Telegraph String Quartets. Additionally, he has also trained in chamber music with Clive Greensmith, Sylvia Rosenberg, Dimitri Murrath, and Jennifer Culp, He has also participated in masterclasses with the Takacs, Aizuri, and Miro String Quartets, Ida Kavafian, and Peter Salaff, among othersPark recently received an Artist Diploma in Chamber Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied under Jennifer Culp, formerly of the Kronos Quartet. He has given both chamber and solo performances across the US and most recently in South Korea. Park has been a member of Shattered Glass, a conductorless string ensemble and has been a fellow at the Music Academy of the West, the ENCORE school for strings, the Marrowstone Music Festival, and the Gold Coast Chamber Music Festival where he was named an Emerging Artist and subsequently served as faculty. He has also held a section cello position in the New West Symphony.Matthew plays on a 2001 Eric Benning CelloTeaching
"You must learn to support from the bass, let your support lift and lead other lines through the melody"The core of my teaching is to enrich the lives of students through music. I want my students to learn from me, themselves and the music. So much of my learning came from my experiences that I had through music, and I want to guide my students through that.I believe there is no mold that fits everyone. Everyone reacts and emotes differently and I believe that teaching students to take their own experiences and put it into the music they are making is equally important as learning to technically play the instrument. I want my students to be able to portray what they are feeling through their playing. Through my lessons, I want my students to ultimately learn to be better human beings, while being able to actively show their thoughts and emotions through the music they make. Whether they continue to pursue professionally or not, I want the experience of learning with me to have a lifelong impact on how they present themselves in life
Pc. Michelle KimPeople I play with
Splntrd Wood Ensemble IG Splntrd Wood creates fresh and invigorating live music experiences that cross divides between musical genres. Formed in 2013 by cellists Pierre Derycz, Ian Gottlieb and Matthew Park, the ensemble crafts its own audacious arrangements, deconstructing any type of music—from Brazilian folk to the symphonic orchestral canon—and presenting it anew through the inimitable and versatile sound of the cello. Forgoing expectations, Splntrd Wood concerts are exciting, memorable and relatable experiences for all listeners, regardless of musical background. Since its founding, Splntrd Wood has presented yearly project-focused programs. In 2020, the ensemble released its first album: De Lá Pra Cá, celebrating the music of Latin America. Inspired by member Ian Gottlieb’s Fulbright fellowship to São Paulo, Brazil, the program features samba, bossa, forró, choro, tango and music from across the American continent. Currently, the ensemble is curating a new program exploring music from the medieval and renaissance periods. Building on the sounds of the cello as its foundation, Splntrd Wood often collaborates with guest artists, including cellist Daniel Lim—who joined the group as a core member in 2020—as well as singers Maria de Barros and Lea Madda. The ensemble has also premiered original works by composers Reena Esmail and Mark Carlson. Most recently, Splntrd Wood was featured at Medieval Music in the Dales’ 2021 online festival. Past engagements include a performance on Sundays Live at LACMA’s Bing Theater, hosted by Young Musicians Foundation (YMF). The ensemble has also performed at a Massivemuse in Venice, CA, produced by Groupmuse and hosted by Short Story Collective / redCola Music.
