matt
grinke
matt is a pianist and music director for disney cruise line. he has been playing piano since he was six years old and has formally studied both classical and jazz music. Matt enjoys arranging Disney tunes and directing his 17-piece jazz big band, The happiest big band on earth. matt has a history of working in Vancouver’s musical theatre and improv scenes. matt is currently putting the finishing touches on his first solo piano album, and scoring and music-producing projects for film and TV. matt is honored to have been chosen as the music captain for the inaugural cast of the Disney Treasure! Be sure to stop by the piano to say hi if you are on board!
matt’s disney days
matt began his journey with Disney cruise lines as a floater pianist on the Disney fantasy in august 2021. since then Matt has sailed the high seas for a total of five contracts on THE wonder, dream, and wish. Matt will be opening the Disney Treasure in December 2024. be sure to stop by the piano to say hi during one of Matt’s sets in the Skipper Society or the Scat Cat Lounge and check your Disney knowledge at his Disney tune’s trivia live events!
matt has also had the pleasure of music directing several casts of musicians for the Disney Wish, Dream, and Treasure.
performance history
matt has been performing professionally in the Vancouver area since he was fourteen. his styles include jazz, ragtime, musical theatre, improv, rock and roll, gospel, and classical. he has played piano in such shows as mamma mia, caberet, shrek the musical, legally blonde, hairspray, the rocky horror show, hello, dolly!, and many more!
in 2017, matt traveled to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to play piano for Will Shakespeare’s improv musical where the show received rave reviews.
be sure to check matt’s event page to find out where he will be performing next.
composing/arranging
built out of a university assignment, Matt created a jazz big band, THE HAPPIEST BIG BAND ON EARTH, that would exclusively play his own arrangements of Disney and Pixar songs. they have performed all around the VANCOUVER area and continue to build their repertoire of arrangements. THEY RECENTLY PERFORMED FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE FEBRUARY 2020.
matt has composed projects for various events around Vancouver, including the Capilano Suspension Bridge, St. Paul’s Lights of Hope celebration, Burnaby Village Museum, and The Talking Tree Project at Presentation House Theatre.
recently Matt has been composing scores and songs for film and TV. Keep an eye out for hipsterverse and so glad you came to premiere in 2025.
work in progress
In July 2024, Matt successfully funded a Kickstarter campaign for his first album. In August, he recorded the songs for “Songs in Walt’s Time” at Hipposonic Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia. The album is in the final stages of production and will be released this holiday season.
matt is currently arranging new pieces for the happiest big band on earth’s FUTURE SHOWS.
matt is creating music for two different projects for film and tv. he is working directly with the creative teams of Hipsterverse and so glad you came to score and arrange original songs. both projects are scheduled to premiere in 2025.
