Listed as one of Fred Hersch’s “pianists you should know”, and described as “an outstanding pianist, stoked full of creative ideas and limitless technique…totally innovative and luminous” by The Australian, Sheens is a genre-bending Jazz pianist and composer.

Born in Bowral, and raised in Adelaide, Sheens graduated with a Masters from the New England Conservatory in Boston in 2009 before relocating to NYC in 2011, where he has been based since.

Sheens has performed/ recorded alongside musical luminaries including John Patitucci, Eric Harland, Kendrick Scott, Bob Moses, Donnie McCaslin, Jerry Bergonzi, Jon Gordon, Matt Penman, Nir Felder, Myron Walden, Ben Monder and Ben Wendel among many others.

Sheens has performed across Australia, USA, The UK, Japan, The Netherlands, at the Jazz Hoeilaart International Jazz Festival in Belgium, Montreux International Jazz Festival in Switzerland, Europafest in Romania, Wellington Jazz Festival, NZ, Australia's Wangaratta Jazz Festival, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, International Panama Jazz festival in Panama City, and Festival Paax in Mexico.

In 2012 Sheens released his debut album, ‘Every Eight Seconds’, to wide acclaim and won the 2013 APRA/AMCOS Professional Development Award. Sheens released his second album ‘Untranslatable’ (ABC Jazz) in 2014, and ‘Cloud Appreciation Day’ (QFTF) in September 2016, which won the ‘Jazz Couleurs Hit Award’ in France, and ‘American Counterpoint’ (QFTF) in 2018, which won ‘Australian Jazz Work of the Year’ at the APRA Art Awards.

A versatile composer, Matthew had commissions from the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (Symphony No. 1 premiered in Adelaide, SA, 2019), has arranged and orchestrated for the Czech National Symphony, Prague.

Images: Catherine Hancock, James Rush