Or Matias
Biography
Or Matias is an Israeli-American composer, pianist, music director, and producer. Since graduating from Juilliard, Or has been featuring cross-genre fusions of various styles, including: classical, jazz, rock, hip-hop, and pop. Or consistently attempts to break the barriers between his musical passions.
Most recently, Or has worked with Josh Groban, The Trans Siberian Orchestra, violin virtuoso Amadeus Leopold, songstress Rachael Yamagata, and tap dancer Andrew Nemr, alongside countless others. His touring has taken him to New Zealand, Australia (Melbourne Festival), Germany, Kosovo, and all over the US, where he performed to sold-out crowds and wide acclaim. Most recently, Or co-produced a single for Josh Groban titled 'Dust and Ashes', released on July 15th, 2016. Or is the music director and conductor for Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, opening on Broadway in the fall of 2016 at the Imperial Theater.
As a composer, Or is currently working on a new musical adaptation of The Wave, the 1967 experiment which turned an entire high school into a proto-fascist movement in just five days. He was recently invited to the Ucross Artists Residency, where he began developing the piece. He frequently writes for the radio show "Israel Story" alongside other collaborations in Israel. His musical Wall Between Us, about a relationship between two Israeli and Palestinian men was performed across the United States to wide acclaim. His scores for dance have been performed at many venues in New York City.
In the summer of 2015, Or played the role of Sergei Rachmaninoff in Lincoln Center's production of Preludes. His performance was described as "marvelous" by the New York Times and "ravishing" by Variety. He also music directed and conducted the world premiere production of First Daughter Suite at the Public Theater which was a New York Times "critics pick". Or has served as the music director for the NY branch of Playing for Change – an organization which raises money through concerts to build music facilities for underprivileged kids worldwide.
Growing up, Or participated in numerous classical chamber music festivals worldwide. At age 16, Or worked closely with violin legend Itzhak Perlman at The Perlman Program in Shelter Island. Previously Or also attended Musica Mundi in Belgium and The Banff Festival in Canada. Other master classes and lessons include Yoheved Kaplinsky, Maxim Vengeroff, and the Takacs Quartet, to name a few. While at Juilliard, Or studied piano with Prof. Julian Martin. Previously he studied with Dr. Sharon Mann and Ms. Hadassah Gonen. He also holds a Masters of Fine Arts from NYU, where he received a Dean's Fellowship, and full scholarship for his studies.
Or believes that all music is universal, and his biggest passion is collaboration.
