John Robert Matz
Background
Composer for MEDIA and CONCERT HALL
As a composer, he has incorporated his educational multi-disciplinary musical training throughout his works, performing a variety of wind, brass, string and percussive instruments in his game and film scores, and using his knowledge to stretch instrumental timbres and find new sounds. He is known for his work on video game scores as diverse as the BAFTA-nominated "Gunpoint", "Artemis: the Spaceship Bridge Simulator", "Rodina", and the award-winning “Fossil Echo”, as well as being a regular musical contributor to YouTube's "RocketJump" (and now Hulu's "RocketJump: The Show"). In addition, he is also active in writing concert works for band and orchestra. As a performer, he has sung in Chicago's Symphony Center, New York's Carnegie Hall, on multiple "Final Fantasy: Distant Worlds" concerts, including the "Distant Worlds II" album recording, toured as an operatic vocal soloist in Italy and central Europe, and has played trumpet in several Chicago-area musical ensembles, including serving as principal in the Elmhurst Philharmonic Orchestra.
John Robert is a member of the Materia Collective, ASCAP, and the Game Audio Network Guild, and has recently been honored with two awards in the 2017 G.A.N.G. Awards, earning “Best Interactive Score” for his work on “Fossil Echo”, and being named “Rookie of the Year” for 2017.
In his spare time, he enjoys worrying about his Steam backlog, reading good books, and removing cats from his MIDI controllers. He is currently working on music for the upcoming games "For the King", and "Dad by the Sword".
For more information and music (including, invariably, rough cuts and works in progress), check out his SoundCloud page at:
EDUCATION:
ELMHURST COLLEGE
B.A. Music Education
Harper COllege
A.F.A. Music
Awards & Nominations:
G.A.N.G. Rookie of the Year
G.A.N.G. Awards, GDC 2017
Winner Best Interactive Score - Fossil Echo
G.A.N.G. Awards, GDC 2017
Nominee Best audio for an Indie Game - Fossil Echo
G.A.N.G. Awards, GDC 2017
Winner Best Game Audio - Fossil Echo
Indie Prize/Casual Connect 2016
Nominee Best British Game - Gunpoint
BAFTA Awards 2014 (Team)
Credits:
“FoR THE KING”
Pc Game
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Fossil Echo”
Pc Game
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“DAD BY THE SWORD”
UPCOMING Pc Game
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“ROCKETJUMP: THE SHOW”
HULU EXCLUSIVE SHOW
Contributing Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“ADVANCE - U”
Pc/WEB/MOBILE Game
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Neptune, Have Mercy”
UPcoming Pc Game
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Detective: Bavaria”
Pc/WEB/MOBILE Game
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“The Ballad of Westerado”
Interactive Short Film/Advertisement
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Starr Mazer” - OST Contributor
Pc Game
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Almightree”
PC/iOS/Mobile Game
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Rodina”
PC Game
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Enemy Starfighter” - Alpha Score
PC Game
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“The Last 5-Second Film” Pt. 1&2
Youtube Masterpiece
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Terminal Velocity”
(W/Freddie Wong)
Youtube Masterpiece
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Who’s Plane is it Anyway”
(W/Freddie Wong)
Youtube Masterpiece
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Werewolf in a Girls Sorority”
RocketJump - Movie Night
Absurdist Horror Film
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Mobile Squad”
(W/Freddie Wong)
Youtube Masterpiece
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Mexican Standoff”
(W/Freddie Wong, KEy & PEele)
Youtube Masterpiece
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“MilkMan 2: Spoiled Crème”
(W/Freddie Wong)
Youtube Masterpiece
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Skyhook”
(W/Freddie Wong)
Youtube Masterpiece
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Far Cry Vacation”
(W/Freddie Wong)
Youtube Masterpiece
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“The Greatest R/C Car Chase” (W/Freddie Wong)
Youtube Masterpiece
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Medieval Zombie Dilemma”
(W/Freddie Wong)
Youtube Masterpiece
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Bunny Overload”
iOS/Android/Mobile Game
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Old-School vs. New School” (W/Freddie Wong)
Youtube Masterpiece
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer/Musical Thief
“MoonShot” (UPcoming)
PC Game
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Edge of Space” - Alpha Soundtrack
PC Game
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Gunpoint” (BAFTA and IGF-Nominee)
PC Game
Co-Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Artemis: The Spaceship Bridge Simulator”
PC Game
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Finding Serenity”
Short Film
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Of Beren and Luthien”
Feature-Length Fan Film
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Really Made it”
Documentary
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Sterling Kae and the Rise of the Orrealm”
WEbseries
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Mirror”
Short Film
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“D&D”
Short Film
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Paragon” (in Progress)
Webseries
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“What was Lost”
Short Film
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“An Artemis Evening”
Short Film
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Jack Frost, P.I.”
Live Radio Drama/Theatre Prod.
Composer/Orchestrator/Performer
“Distant Worlds II: More Music From Final Fantasy”
Performer (Vocal)
Performed With:
Elmhurst Philharmonic
Principal Trumpet
Elmhurst College Wind Ensemble
Principal Trumpet, Section Leader, Guest Conductor, Composer/Arranger
Elmhurst College Concert Choir & Chamber Singers
Tenor Section Leader, Student Conductor
Elmhurst College Jazz Lab Band
Section Trumpet, Featured Soloist
Schaumburg Youth Symphony Orchestra
Principal Trumpet, Section Leader, Composer-in-Residence
Biography