ABOUT
Dr. Matthew Dion, DMA, is widely regarded as a young leader in the organ community as a performer, church musician, and teacher, whose performances are enlightening and engaging. Along with regular solo and collaborative performances, Matthew serves as Director of Music and Organist at Saint Francis Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas; Adjunct Professor of Organ at Lee College in Baytown, Texas; Member at Large of the Houston Chapter of the American Guild of Organists; and is represented by Concert Artists Cooperative III Artist Management.
Matthew performs as a solo organist throughout the United States, highlighting repertoire spanning over seven centuries, with a special interest in the music of French composer and organist Jean Langlais. Some notable performance venues include: Houston Christian (Baptist) University, Houston, TX; The Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (Catholic), Houston, TX; Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal), Houston, TX; The Villa De Matel Convent, Houston, TX; Christ Church Episcopal, Philadelphia, PA; National City Christian Church, Washington, DC; Old West Church, Boston, MA; Kings Chapel, Boston, MA; Village Church UCC, Wellesley, MA; Grace Episcopal Church, Providence, RI; Saint Anne's Church and Shrine, Fall River, MA; Saint Mary's Church, Newport, RI; Saint Stanislaus Church, Cleveland, OH; Trinity Lutheran Church, Cleveland, OH; Church of the Covenant, Cleveland, OH and many more.
As a collaborative musician, he has recently been a featured accompanist, soloist, and collaborator with the Grammy®-winning Houston Chamber Choir in Houston, Texas, under the direction of Robert Simpson; the West Shore Chorale in Lakewood, Ohio, under the direction of John Drotleff; the Oberlin College Choir/Musical Union under the direction of Dr. Gregory Ristow; and the Oberlin Arts and Sciences orchestra under the direction of Dr. Tiffany Chang. Recently, he has performed or recorded Saint-Saëns' "Organ Symphony" (2019), movements of Cécile Chaminade's Messe pour deux voix égales (2021), and the Fauré Requiem (2024). From 2021-2022, Matthew was the accompanist of the Treble Choir of Houston, directed by Marianna Parnas-Simpson. In addition, he is a founding member and organist of Reeds and Keys, an oboe and organ concert duo where he performs with his wife, oboist Anne Pinkerton-Dion.
Matthew earned his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in Organ performance with a Minor in Harpsichord at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, studying with Daryl Robinson. His doctoral research focused on organ pedagogy and culminated with his dissertation titled "Organ Study at the National Institute of the Blind, Paris: The Influence and Impact on Organ Pedagogy through the Pedagogical Work of Louis Vierne and Jean Langlais." Matthew also received his Master of Music Degree from the University of Houston. While at UH, he served as a musicology teaching assistant, working with students in ethnomusicology and twentieth-century music history courses. Matthew received his Bachelor of Music degree in Organ and a Minor in Music History at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he studied organ with Dr. Jonathan Moyer, James David Christie, and Arvid Gast.
His other teachers include Jean-Baptiste Robin, Marie Louise Langlais, Vincent Warnier, Dr. Steven Young, Madeleine Grace, and Normand Gingras for organ; Erik Thompson for piano; Mark Edwards for harpsichord and continuo; and Dr. Betsy Cook Weber for choral conducting. Matthew has additionally been involved in masterclasses for many keyboard organizations, including the Montreal Organ Festival, the American Guild of Organists, and the Westfield Keyboard Society. He has performed in classes taught by Ken Cowan, Matthew Dirst, Jesse Eschbach, Nicole Keller, Nathan Laube, Kimberly Marshall, Robert McCormick, Alan Morrison, Bruce Neswick, Kola Owolabi, Christa Rakich, Cherry Rhodes, Jean Baptiste Robin, Jonathan Ryan, and Peter Sykes. Matthew is a 2019 winner of the Audrey Mollard Scholarship Competition for Organ from the Tuesday Musical Association in Akron, Ohio.
In addition to his work at Lee College, Matthew maintains a private organ studio of students of all age levels and experiences. He has also served on faculty at the University of Houston's Community Arts Academy and Saint Andrew's Presbyterian School of Fine Arts. Matthew has also been invited as a guest organ teacher at Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) in Houston during the fall 2023 semester.
Matthew maintains an active life as a sacred musician with extensive experience in the Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, and Presbyterian faith traditions. Most recently, Matthew served as Assistant Director of Music and Organist at Saint Anne Roman Catholic Church, Houston, TX; Organ Scholar at Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal), Houston, Texas; and before that served as organist and director of the "Music Under the Steeple" concert series at First Presbyterian Church in Huron, Ohio. He is also an active member of the American Guild of Organists (Houston and Southeastern Massachusetts Chapters) and the Association of Anglican Church Musicians (AAM).
Matthew, originally from Somerset, Massachusetts, now makes his home in Houston, Texas, with his wife Anne Pinkerton-Dion and their betta fish, Anonymous IV. An enthusiastic foodie, he enjoys frequenting various restaurants throughout Houston, especially the original Carrabba's on Kirby/Voss and Étoile Cuisine in Uptown. Matthew is an avid traveler, especially throughout the United States and Europe. In addition to food and traveling, he also enjoys collecting watches, suits, artwork, and organist autographs. Matthew is also currently pursuing a vocation to become a lay Benedictine Oblate.