Matthew Park
Cellist
Pc. Michelle KimAbout me
Matthew Park currently serves as Assistant Principal Cello of the California Symphony and is a member of Splntrd Wood, a project-focused cello quartet whose mission is to “create fresh live music experiences that cross divides between musical genres.”
Splntrd Wood has been featured on Sundays Live at LACMA, ASCAP’s New Music Friday playlist, and the Medieval Music in the Dales Festival in Yorkshire, England. They have released their debut album De lá pra cá, which explores original arrangements of Brazilian and Latin American music. The quartet has collaborated with artists such as Maria Da Barros and 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 studied chamber music with renowned ensembles including the American, Escher, Takács, and Telegraph String Quartets, and with distinguished musicians such as Clive Greensmith, Sylvia Rosenberg, Dimitri Murrath, and Jennifer Culp. He has also participated in masterclasses with the Takács, Aizuri, and Miró String Quartets, Ida Kavafian, and Peter Salaff, among others.
Park holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory, where he earned his Artist Diploma in Chamber Music under the mentorship of Jennifer Culp.
He has performed both chamber and solo works across the United States and South Korea. Park was 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 later served on the faculty. He has also held a section cello position with 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.
