Matthew Kaplan

Matt Kaplan is a classical guitarist based in New York City.  He holds bachelor’s degrees of Music Education and Music Performance with a minor in Piano from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and a master’s of Music Performance from Mannes College - The New School for Music where he studied with classical guitar luminaries like Frederic Hand and Michael Newman.

Matt’s performing experience includes venues such as Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, the Kimmel Center, the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, and the Morgan Library and Museum.

Internationally, Matt has brought his music to Perú at the Universidad Nacional de Música in 2007. In Italy he performed as a soloist with the Rome Festival Orchestra in 2010 and in 2018 he performed in Lanciano as a fellowship recipient of the 2018 Lanciano International Guitar Seminar.  Matt also regularly performs in Santiago de Chile and Barcelona, Spain.

Most recently, in April 2021, Matt released a double album recording of chamber music of pieces composed by the Bolivian composer Jaime Zenamon.  Zenamon - A Chamber Music Collection includes music for guitar and cello, guitar and violin, guitar duo, guitar trio, and guitar quartet featuring Matt’s colleagues and friends in New York City.  Currently, Matt works for the New York City Classical Guitar Orchestra and is a section leader helping to prepare the group towards recording an album of new music commissioned for the orchestra.

Matt has over 15 years of teaching experience working with students of all ages, abilities, and musical interests.  In Matt’s most recent teaching experience, Matt established himself as an effective guitar instructor at a NYC private music school and was promoted to be the company’s first education manager where he was in charge of training teachers to teach effective and impactful lessons.