Matt Von Roderick

Matt Shulman, who performs under the alternate name Matt von Roderick, works as a jazz and pop trumpeter and vocalist whose foundation lies in conventional jazz yet extends into blends with rap and EDM. Classical piano and violin instruction began for him at age three in his home state of Vermont. The baritone horn entered his studies at age eight and the trumpet at age twelve, establishing him early as a prodigy. Following high school he completed a B.A. at Oberlin Conservatory and, through the Vilar Fellowship, earned a master’s degree from New York University. In 1997 he reached the finals of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition; in 2002 he appeared with the New York Pops Orchestra; and in 2003 the Independent Music Awards named him Jazz Artist of the Year. Subsequent collaborations placed him alongside Joe Lovano, Brad Mehldau, John Medeski, and Nneena Freelon across numerous jazz contexts. His debut album, So It Goes, appeared in 2007. After relocating from New York City to Los Angeles he adopted the stage name Matt van Roderick. The 2016 release Hero’s Journey merged hip-hop, drum’n’bass, and dubstep textures with pop hooks and swaggering rhymes.