The Heartland Marimba Quartet (formed in 2016), one of the touring ensembles of the Heartland Marimba organization (founded in 2014), has appeared in many concerts across the country since its creation by soloist Matthew Coley. Through its programming choices, HMQ offers a platform for the music of American composers and continues to expand its repertoire with works from composers worldwide. The distinctly creative members of Heartland Marimba combine to create virtuosic and electrifying ensembles. With its mission of reaching a wider audience and increasing appreciation for marimba music, HMQ develops and disseminates the classical marimba art form in both academic and community contexts.

Recent performance highlights for the HMQ include:
– Guest Artists for the 2022 World Marimba Competition in Stuttgart, Germany
– Soloists with the Reading Pops Orchestra and Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra
– Concerts at three Percussive Arts Society International Conventions
– World premiere performances of Kevin Romanski’s Concerto for Marimba Quartet and Orchestra and HMQ’s own adaptation of Ravel’s Carnival of the Animals with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, Dubuque, IA
– Headline artists for the 2023 Crossroads Music Festival in Cedar City, UT
– Recording for new albums of music by Matthew Coley and Marco Schirripa

HMQ was awarded a grant from New Music USA in 2020 and launched the New Quartets Project Consortium in 2021 to continue its ongoing effort to support women composers. The quartet has commissioned six new works by Jenni Brandon, Kirsten Broberg, Dorothy Hindman, Nyokabi Kariuki, Nirmala Rajasekar, and Dolores White. Many of the works that HMQ tours with are published by HM Publications, completing HM’s cyclical support for the classical marimba art form.

For more about the group, please visit: www.HeartlandMarimba.com

The NMM Live! Series is made possible by the USD Student Government Association and the South Dakota Arts Council through the Department of Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts.