About
Matthew Kimbley was born and raised in Asheville, NC. Soon after starting piano lessons at the age of five, he began studies under internationally renowned pianist Dr. John Cobb. A student of Claudio Arrau, Dr. Cobb’s legacy of teachers placed Kimbley in the direct lineage of great pianist-composers such as Franz Liszt, Carl Czerny, and Ludwig van Beethoven. During his studies in Asheville, he was a three-time winner of the Asheville Area Piano Forum Piano Competition.
After moving to Tennessee in 2014, Kimbley continued his piano studies with Dr. Peter Cooper, dean of the School of Music at Southern Adventist University (SAU). During his middle and high school years, he performed three solo recitals featuring works of Liszt, Chopin, Beethoven, and Ravel, among others. During his undergraduate years at SAU, he proceeded to perform three more solo recitals featuring many of the most challenging works of the piano repertoire.
In addition to solo works, Kimbley performed several times with the SAU Symphony Orchestra as a winner of their Concerto Competition. After being their youngest ever winner at age 13, performing the first movement of the Grieg Piano Concerto, he won twice during his university studies with the third piano concertos of Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff. He soloed twice with the East Tennessee Symphony Orchestra (ETSO), performing the Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and the Richard Strauss Burleske. An experienced collaborative pianist, he has worked with many church and professional choirs, soloists, and chamber ensembles.
However, Kimbley has not limited himself to the piano. He is also a talented violist (and violinist as needed), having served for three years as the principal violist of the SAU Symphony Orchestra. He currently plays with the Hopkins Symphony Orchestra. As a percussionist, he served for two years as the principal percussionist for the ETSO.
Kimbley’s primary musical pursuit, however, is composition. One of his greatest passions ever since writing down notes on a blank staff at age five, he has actively written works ever since. His first major breakthrough came in 2019, when he was named the youngest ever winner of the Summer Singers Young Composers Competition. His album of solo piano hymn arrangements, Marvelous Grace, has been highly received both for its performance and the arrangements, most of which were written during high school.
During his undergraduate studies, Kimbley established himself as a promising composer, having written dozens of works for a variety of ensembles. Many of his solo and chamber works were featured on the first composition recital held at SAU in several years, showcasing several ambitious works clocking at nearly two hours long. His first orchestral work, Atlantic Overture, was performed by the SAU Symphony Orchestra and the Chattanooga Symphony, both to high acclaim. Other works include The Pursuit of Happiness, performed by the SAU Wind Symphony, and Ex Cineribus, a viola concerto premiered by the composer with the ETSO. His encores and cadenzas, all originally composed, are consistent audience favorites at his piano recitals. Both Atlantic Overture and his song cycle, Arboreana, have been professionally recorded and are available on most streaming platforms.
Kimbley graduated summa cum laude in 2025 with a double degree in piano and music theory. Currently, he is pursuing a masters degree in music composition at Morgan State University under prolific composer Dr. James Lee III. Since his studies there, Kimbley has already received several performance opportunities and commissions. He was recently awarded the first ever J. Kimo Williams Commission Prize for Rising Black Composers. He has also taken summer courses at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with prominent UK-based composers such as Richard Baker, Hollie Harding, Oliver Searle, and Emily Doolittle.
Outside of music, Kimbley enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, and leadership. He served as the founder and president of two organizations - AYM Southeast, a faith-based retreat organization for teens in Tennessee, and the SAU Prayer Club.