Composer and pianist Matt Nakoa takes the stage at Our Times Coffeehouse on Friday, May 17. In addition to steady folk radio airplay, he has performed with veteran songsmiths Patty Larkin, Ellis Paul, and Tom Rush. Nakoa’s film scoring was featured at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and on Disney.com, in addition to the favorable reviews he received in The New York Times.

Following a formative stint as a classical pianist, Matt won a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. After college, Matt toured with his band, The Fens, and eventually landed in New York City’s vibrant piano bar scene. Matt quickly became a star performer at Manhattan’s Brandy’s Piano Bar, with lines outside the door each Saturday night. He was dubbed the “Most Wanted Artist” at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in 2014.