Oregon Symphony Musician Bio

Matthew McKay

Percussion

Percussionist Matthew McKay began playing with the Oregon Symphony at the beginning of 2011.  Prior to joining the OSO, Matthew performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, Boston Philharmonic, and the San Diego, Jacksonville, and New World Symphony Orchestras.  Matthew received his Bachelor's degree from the New England Conservatory under the tutelage of Boston Symphony percussionist, Will Hudgins.  As an undergraduate he won the school-wide Percussion Mock Audition in both 2008 and 2009.  He then attended Boston University where he studied under Boston Symphony Timpanist, Tim Genis.  Matthew is currently pursuing his Master's degree from Boston University and expects to graduate in the spring of 2011. 

Matthew’s summer engagements have included fellowships with the Tanglewood Music Center, Spoleto Music Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, and National Orchestral Institute at the University of Maryland.  Also an avid chamber musician, he has performed and recorded Bartok’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion in Boston’s Jordan Hall, and performed on the World Premier recording of Elliot Carter’s What are Years (2010) at the Tanglewood Music Center.  Also, in 2005, Matthew was the winner of the Friday Morning Music Club Solo Competition in Washington D.C. 

A native of Fairfax, Virginia, Matthew began playing percussion at the age of 10.  His musical training began with violin lessons at the age of 4.  At the age of 7, he began taking piano lessons, resulting in dozens of solo recitals and competitions. In 2002, Matthew decided to pursue music as a career when he was accepted into the National Symphony Youth Fellowship program. There he was able to observe the National Symphony in rehearsals and take weekly private percussion lessons with the timpanist, John Tafoya.   In his free time, Matthew loves playing the piano, exploring and hiking through the wilderness of Portland, and keeping up with his Boston sports teams. 

Biography