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Hiroyuki Matsuura, also known as Matsu, was born into a musical family in Yokohama and raised in Tokyo, Japan. He began singing from his infancy and taking organ lessons at the age of four. His music teachers in his primary school and junior high found his extraordinary musical talent and put him in the school choirs.
In his high school, joining the school marching band, Matsu started playing the drums and the percussion. After only four years, he won the first prize of Dennis Chambers Drum Competition held by the Japanese drum magazine in 1995. While majoring in accounting at Chuo University, he began working as a musician. In 1999 as a member of Tama Band, he won the first prize and the audience award at the Kichijoji Jazz Contest. In the same year, he also received the second prize of the Japanese drum magazine drum competition. He performed with many professional musicians, such as Shin Kazuhara “the best trumpeter” in the Japanese studio scene, the R&B-Jazz-House band named “urb” that had been approached for a contract with Sony Music Japan, and the Osaka Municipal Symphonic Band, Japan’s longest running professional wind orchestra founded in 1923.
Matsu moved to New York in September 2002. He attended the City College of New York and studied with distinguished professors and musicians: John Patitucci, Mike Holober, Dan Carillo, Neil Clark, Duduka da Fonseca, and Adam Cruz. The City College gave him the following: the Edward Rensin Memorial Award, The Max E. Greenberg Scholarship, and Doris Field Award. He completed a BFA in jazz performance and was the only BFA music graduate in the class of February 2007 who received the highest honor, Summa Cum Laude.
Matsu has performed and/or recorded with Grammy winning bassist, Hector “Maximo” Rodriguez (Spanish Harlem Orchestra); Grammy winner, Oriente Lopez; legendary jazz pianist, Harry Whitaker; one of the New York’s finest pianists, Ray Gallon; jazz trombonist and author, Scott Reeves; one of the most active R&B~rock band in NY, Shelley Nicole’s blaKbushe; reggae legend, Milton Henry; the best reggae band in NY, Jammyland Allstars; unique mix of Latin music and hip hop, Welfare Poets; percussionist of 2005 Latin Grammy nominated Los Pleneros de La 21, Juan Usera; Sophia Bastian (with whom he opened for the Roots!!!) and many other finest jazz, Latin, rock, R&B, and reggae musicians in New York and abroad. He has also played for musicals and worked with five time Tony-award nominee and winner of three Obie awards, Liz Swados and Tony Award winner, Ben Harney.
The venues where Matsu has performed include Madison Square Garden, The Blue Note Jazz Club New York, Shea Stadium, The Hammerstein Ballroom, Highline Ballroom, Joe’s Pub, SOB’s, Louis Armstrong House, BAM, Ashford and Simpson’s Sugar Bar, Knittng Factory, Drom, Soul Cafe, City Winery, Cooper Union, Naumberg Bandshell in Central Park, Aaron Davis Hall, Kumble Theater, Skirball Center, Philadelphia Museum of art, Tritone, World Café Live, and so on
