Matthew Kimbley, 19, began piano lessons at the age of five in his hometown of Asheville, NC. Under the tutelage of John Cobb, internationally acclaimed pianist, Matthew was a two-time first place winner of the Asheville Area Piano Forum (AAPF) Piano Competition. At age eleven, he moved to Collegedale, TN, where he now resides, and has since studied under Dr. Peter Cooper, dean of the School of Music at Southern Adventist University.

Matthew is a two-time winner of the SAU Concerto Competition (2016 and 2021), and he has had the opportunity to perform as a soloist with the SAU Symphony Orchestra and the East Tennessee Symphony Orchestra (ETSO). Matthew also composes regularly, and he was the winner of the Summer Singers Young Composers Competition in 2019. His most recent works include several piano hymn arrangements, a set of concert encores for piano, and a string quartet.

Currently, Matthew is studying Music Theory/Literature and Piano Performance at Southern with a minor in entrepreneurship. In addition to his piano and composition ventures, Matthew keeps himself busy as principal violist of the SAU Symphony Orchestra, principal percussionist of the ETSO, and percussionist with the SAU Wind Symphony. In addition to music, he also enjoys spending time with friends, photography, hiking/backpacking, and serving others in his community.