At just 20 years old, New Jersey native Matthew Whitaker has already shared his powerful story and ascent to the biggest stages in jazz with 60 Minutes and The Today Show; but on the young star pianist’s new album Connections (out August 13 via Resilience Music Alliance), he takes a bold step forward in defining for himself, on his own terms and in his own words, what it truly means to be Matthew Whitaker. This shines through in his collaborations with the genre's present day stars, like Jon Batiste and GRAMMY-winning producer Derrick Hodge (Robert Glasper, Q-Tip), in songs that signal “a new direction in his artistic expression” as NPR’s Nate Chinen notes, and in arrangements that transcend traditional jazz and draw from R&B, Latin, Gospel and so much more. 

On Connections’ 16 tracks, Whitaker “doesn’t kick off a tune or improvisation as much as plunge into the music, twisting time,” GRAMMY-winning jazz scholar Ashley Kahn notes - also calling attention to Matthew’s “deepening confidence and rhythmic vigor.” In the midst of all this, Whitaker tells his own story most directly through the album’s riveting spoken word pieces, where he unflinchingly shares his experiences of perseverance while rising to the top of the genre after being born three months premature and blind.

On lead single "Stop Fighting," Matthew’s journey of self-discovery finds him reflecting on his experience as a young Black person in America this year. While offering a statement of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in three parts (even incorporating marching into the song's bridge), Matthew rallies against unjust killing and unnecessary violence, reflecting on "the past 400 years with slavery and how many people have been taken from us" and mourning the losses of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and far too many more. Listen to "Stop Fighting" and read an interview with Matthew and NPR's Nate Chinen via WBGO, who called the song "a new direction in Whitaker's musical expression".

Amidst originals that uplift and call to action, Matthew reinterprets the work of heroes like Chick Corea, Stevie Wonder, Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk (on "Bye Ya," a sparkling duet with Jon Batiste). Throughout, Whitaker is joined by a full community of talented friends, many GRAMMY winners and accomplished band leaders in their own right, including Batiste, Hodge, Regina Carter, Alvester Garnett, Otis Brown III, Johnathan Blake, Endea Owens, Karim Hutton, Isaiah Johnson, Nêgah Santos, Marcos Robinson and Steve Oquendo. While Connections is ultimately a bold statement of maturation and identity for Matthew, it is this group that empowers him to find his voice in such courageous new ways.

Born in Hackensack, New Jersey in 2001, Matthew Whitaker’s love for playing music first began at the young age of 3, after his grandfather gave him a small Yamaha keyboard.

At 9, Matthew began teaching himself how to play the Hammond B3 organ. Four years later, he became the youngest artist to be endorsed by Hammond—in its 80+ year history.  He was also named a Yamaha Artist at 15, becoming the youngest musician to join the stellar group of jazz pianists.

He’s already toured both here in the US and abroad, performing before The Youth Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in NYC, and on other world renowned stages, including: Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Apollo Theater, Carnegie Hall, and Jazz at Lincoln Center in NYC; SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco; the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC; The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Monterey Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Playboy Jazz Festival, Telluride Jazz Festival and at international venues in France, Italy, Germany, Indonesia, UK, Australia, Switzerland, Portugal, Japan, Spain, Morocco and South Korea.​

Matthew has performed with an array of outstanding musicians: Ray Chew, Christian McBride, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Rhoda Scott, Cameron Carpenter, Regina Carter, Jason Moran, Jon Batiste, Cory Henry, Marc Cary, Arturo O’Farrill, James Carter, Roy Ayers, D.D. Jackson, The New York Pops Orchestra, EFG London Jazz Festival at Royal Albert Hall in London, where he was a featured soloist with their 42 piece big band.   and with Hamiet Bluiett and his Bio-Electric Ensemble. 

Matthew was the 1st place winner at Apollo for Fox TV’s revival of Showtime at the Apollo in 2016; he has been on national and international, radio and television, which includes the Today Show documentary series "Boys Changing the World," Harry Connick Jr Show an appearance on the syndicated TV talk show Ellen and a segment on the most watched news magazine on television 60 Minutes!   

In 2017, he was named 1 of the 17 people to watch in New Jersey by The Record, one of New Jersey’s largest newspapers and add to Crain's Business New York breakout list of 20 under 20 as a performing artist. 

In 2018 The Root added Matthew to its list of 1 of 25 Young Futurist Leaders and was named as 1 of 7 rising stars for 2018 by USA Today network's 201 Magazine. 

​2019 & 2020, Matthew was a winner of The ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award for his original compositions “Emotions & Underground!"