Matthew Albert

Matt Albert was born and raised in Winchester, Virginia. He holds degrees from Oberlin College and Conservatory (B.Mus. violin and B.A. English), the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (A.D. chamber music), and Northwestern University School of Music (M.M. violin). Matt is a founding member of eighth blackbird, with whom he has received numerous awards, including first prizes at the Naumburg, Concert Artists Guild, Coleman, and Fischoff Competitions. He has recorded with the ensemble for Cedille Records, with their most recent disc Beginnings being released in May 2004. As a soloist he performed the Berg Violin Concerto with Bruce Hangen and the Oberlin Orchestra and the Weill Violin Concerto with Barbara Schubert and the University of Chicago New Music Ensemble. He has studied with Kenneth Sarch, Gregory Fulkerson, Kurt Sassmannshaus, and Almita Vamos. He teaches violin and viola at the Lake Forest Symphony Music School, and he has performed throughout the Chicago area with the Chicago Sinfonietta and CUBE new music ensemble. He appeared as the onstage Gypsy Violinist in Light Opera Works’ (Evanston, Illinois) 2001 production of Countess Maritza and as the Fiddler in their 2003 production of Fiddler on the Roof.