Matthew Noonan
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Matthew Noonan is an American concert organist. Born August 21, 1971, he studied organ at the Eastman School of Music, Houghton College, Syracuse University and the State University of New York Fredonia. Noonan was discovered by music teacher Sue Pritchard at Brockport High School. At this time, Noonan was a guitarist for several garage and nightclub bands. Despite having no piano or organ training, Pritchard encouraged Noonan to take up a keyboard instrument. An organist herself, she directed him toward organ. Acknowledged as a prodigy by the late Russell Saunders of the Eastman School of Music, Noonan quickly took to the organ and two years from beginning training, took 2nd place at the American Guild of Organists national competition in 1991. Noonan took the AGO top prize in 1992. Additional honors include winning the 1994 Arthur Poister Organ Competition. These competition wins gave him a springboard to launch a professional career in music. Among his five concert tours of Europe was a concert given in the historic German village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. On August 28, 1993, Noonan became the first American born organist to play an "all-Bach" concert on the giant organ of St. Jakobskirche (Church of St. Jacob).
Matthew and his wife Kristin live in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA where he makes his living as an organist and music teacher.
