MATTHEW BARNHILL

AGE 38  I  CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA  I  UNITED STATES
ACCOUNTANT

Matthew Barnhill dreamt of being a pianist when he was a child. He earned a Bachelor of Music in piano performance from Furman University, and—though his career went a different direction (he’s worked in finance since graduating with a master’s in accountancy in 2013)—that dream has never left him. His eye has been on the Cliburn Amateur for several years, waiting until he was old enough to enter. He sees it as a motivation and inspiration—“a path back into the world of music.” In addition to working as a senior manager in project finance and consulting for CohnReznick LLP, Matthew is an avid runner (his marathon count is in the double digits) and loves adventure travel (he summited Kilimanjaro in 2018 and trekked to Everest Base Camp in Nepal in March 2020, right before the world shut down).

Repertoire

Preliminary Round

BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 21 in C Major, op. 53 (“Waldstein”) (I)
CHOPIN Etude in A-flat Major, op. 25, no. 1
CHOPIN Etude in C Major, op. 10, no. 7
CHOPIN Etude in F Major, op. 10, no. 8

Semifinal Round 

BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 21 in C Major, op. 53 (“Waldstein”) (III)
BACH Prelude and Fugue in A-flat Major, BWV 862
LISZT Mephisto Waltz No. 1

Final Round 

MENDELSSOHN Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, op. 25 (III)