
Matthew S. Nelson
Composer | Cellist
About
Matthew S. Nelson is a cultivated and contemplative musical whisperer. Growing up between the two old oaks of classical tradition and pop curiosity was a sacred nursery. Explore a selection of his credits on AllMusic, his instrumental work with kingpinguin (with violinist Avery Bright) and his original score (co-composed with Dan Haseltine) for The Chosen, and feel free to get in touch with any comments or inquiries.

"The Zen gardener . . . is not interfering with nature because he is nature, and he cultivates as if not cultivating. Thus the garden is at once highly artificial and extremely natural!"
Alan Watts
Contact


Bio
The Short Story
Matthew S. Nelson is a composer, a cellist, and a guitarist who has worked professionally in a wide variety of musical roles since 1999. He is best known for his touring work as bandleader for country artist RaeLynn, his touring and session work with award-winning band Jars of Clay, and his score (co-composed with Dan Haseltine) for the hit original series The Chosen, the #1 crowdfunded media project in history. Regardless of a particular discipline, his creative voice strives to connect the humble thread of artistic expression to the rich tapestry of collective human consciousness.
Nelson holds a Bachelor of Music from Middle Tennessee State University, where he studied cello with Xiao-Fan Zhang and jazz guitar with Paul Abrams, and an Associate of Arts from Pensacola Junior College, where he studied cello with Dr. Brad Knobel.
In addition to album credits as diverse as JD Souther, Anderson East, Michael W. Smith, and Hooray for the Riff Raff, Nelson has performed live with Amy Grant, Sleeping at Last, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Cheap Trick, among a long list of others. He has appeared on NBC’s Today, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Grand Ole Opry, NPR’s Mountain Stage, and the TV drama series Nashville.
In addition to The Chosen, Nelson is working on new music with his neoclassical duo kïngpinguïn. He is slated to join co-composer Dan Haseltine to score Brock Heasely's spiritual sci-fi feature The Shift. Matthew S. Nelson lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Credits
On Record
Alex Wong—The Elephant and the Seahorse—cello
Anderson East—Flowers of the Broken Hearted—cello
Anderson East—Say Anything (feat. Jill Andrews)—cello
Andrew Ripp—The Soul—cello
Andrew Ripp—Tomorrow—cello
Anna Johnson—Christmastime with the Anna Johnson Band—cello, comedy
Anthony Skinner and the Immersion Family Band—The Sound that Saved Us All (Live in the Round)—cello
Andreas Moss—Andreas Moss
Big Daddy Weave—Neighborhoods—cello
Big Daddy Weave—What Life Would Be Like—cello, string arrangements
Big Daddy Weave—Christ Is Come—cello
Big Daddy Weave—Love Come To Life: The Redeemed Edition—cello
Big Daddy Weave—Beautiful Offerings—cello
Bobby Jo Valentine—Temporary Weather—cello
Boot Hill & The Paramount Ship—Boot Hill & The Paramount Ship—cello
Brian Meece—Brian Meece—cello, guitar, lap dulcimer, bass, hand drums
Caleb and Kelsey
Canyon City—Purple Horizon—cello
Canyon City—Wish List—cello
Charity Rouse—Love Is Always Stronger—cello
Chip Greene—Have Mercy! Chip Greene Live at Mercy Lounge—guitar, BGVs
Chris Rice—Untitled Hymn: A Collection of Hymns—cello
Conor Matthews—fool's elegy—cello
Dan Haseltine & Matthew S. Nelson—The Chosen: Season One (Original Series Soundtrack)—composer, guitar, octave mandolin, cello, keyboard, programming
David Ian—Valentine's Day—cello
Don Gallardo—When The Daylight Whispers Darling...—cello
Elise Davis—Life—cello
Emily West—All for You—cello
Evan McHugh—Let's Be Young—cello
Five Times August—Sun Studio EP—cello
Francesca Battistelli—Own It—cello
Greenleaf Cast—Greenleaf (Gospel Companion Soundtrack, Vol. 1)—cello
Hannah Kerr—Christmas Eve in Bethlehem—cello
Haunted Like Human—Soothsayer—cello
Heather Bond—You're Not Christmas For Me—guitar, glockenspiel
Heather Bond—Some Other Lover—cello, wine glass
Heather Bond—Walk Alone (Acoustic Trio Version)—cello, BGVs
Heather Bond—"More Than I Ever Did" from Nashville Indie Spotlight—cello
Heather Bond—So Long—cello, string arrangements, guitar
Holley Maher—February—cello
Hooray for the Riff Raff—Small Town Heroes—cello
HuDost—Of Water + Mercy—cello, string arrangements
HuDost—Our Words Will Be Louder (feat. Dan Haseltine & Christie Lenee)—bass
Hush Kids—Hush Kids—cello
James Riley—Transatlantica—cello
Janet Blair—Songs for the Waiting—cello, bass
Jars of Clay—Daytrotter Presents No. 25—cello, bass
Jars of Clay—NoiseTrade Eastside Manor Sessions—cello
Jars of Clay—20—cello, string arrangements, ukulele
Jessica Campbell—Put the Stars Back—cello, string arrangements
JD Souther—Tenderness—cello
Jill Andrews—The War Inside—cello
Joseph Akins—Spirit Touch—cello
Kelley Keenan—Willing—cello, guitar, bass, BGVs
kingpinguin—Kingpinguin—composer, cello, keyboard, guitar, mix
kingpinguin—Icefields of Adelaide (feat. Birds of Norway)—composer, cello, mix
kingpinguin—Arctic Carols—composer, cello, keyboard, guitar, octave mandolin, mix
kingpinguin—Northeaster—composer, cello, keyboard, mix
Koziol Kennedy—Slow & Low (feat. Bre Kennedy & Matthew Koziol)—cello, string arrangement
Landy Maughon—With One Voice—cello
Lathan Warlick—My Way—string arrangements, cello
Liz Longley—Inside This Song—cello
Lo Marie—Solid Ground—cello
Lonas—Quiver—cello
Loren Mulraine—Fall On Me—cello
Marc Scibilia—Something Good in This World—cello
Marie Hines—The Tide & the Sea—cello
Matt Lovell—Nobody Cries Today—cello
Michael Card—To the Kindness of God—cello
Michael Logen—New Medicine—cello
Michael W. Smith—Hymns II: Shine On Us—cello
Mike Hicks—This is Life—cello, string contractor
Paul Wilbur—Por Siempre Fiel—cello
Paul Wilbur—Forever Good—cello
Phillip LaRue—Cello—composer, cello
Ripp+Rice—Songs We Wrote on Tuesdays—cello, string arrangements
Sam and Becca Mizell—Life Vol. 1—cello
Sam and Becca Mizell—Getaway Car—cello, guitar, octave mandolin
Sharmane—Sharmane—cello
Sharmane—Leap of Faith—cello
Sleeping At Last—Atlas: Enneagream—cello
Sleeping At Last—"Everywhere I Go" from Covers, Vol. 3—cello
Tayler Buono—Unseen—cello
Ten Out of Tenn—7: Music by Ten Out of Tenn from Nashville Ballet's Seven Deadly Sins—cello
Tyrone Wells—Beautiful World—cello
The Katinas—Love Chapter—cello
The People We Are—The People We Are—cello
The Saint Johns—Open Water—cello
The Still, Small Voice—In Tension—cello
The Still, Small Voice—Mourning Dove—cello
The Still, Small Voice—Arches—cello
Wyn Starks & Anna Graceman—Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas—cello
Don't see your record listed? Please contact us to have it added.
On Stage
Amy Grant
Anderson East
Andrew Ripp
Anthem Lights
Big Daddy Weave
Boot Hill & The Paramount Ship
Brooke Waggoner
Brynn Marie
Chip Greene
Cheap Trick
Dana Glover
Don Gallardo
Emily Weisband
Evan McHugh
Francesca Battistelli
Hardy
Heather Bond
Holley Maher
Jars of Clay
Jeremy Camp
Kalie Shorr
Keith Kitchen
Kirk Franklin
Marie Hines
Mark Hall of Casting Crowns
Matthew West
Michael Card
Michael Logen
Michael Tait
Natalie Grant
Nichole Nordeman
Newsboys
RaeLynn
Selah
Shelly Fraley
Sleeping At Last
Steven Curtis Chapman
Tenille Townes
The Brilliance
