Biography
For three decades Matt Ender scored films and television programs, among them an Emmy-nominated soundtrack for the daytime serial All My Children in 1988. Additional credits include the music for The Secret Files of J. Edgar Hoover and the song “Do the Carmine,” composed for the sitcom Laverne & Shirley; his work has also aired on The Leeza Show. Celtic music nevertheless remains his central focus. Several albums document this commitment, beginning with the 1997 release Ancient Isle. A Brooklyn native, Ender was immersed in music from childhood: his mother played the cello while his father performed on piano without formal training. Piano lessons began at age six, emphasizing technique, theory, and harmony through classical and jazz repertoire. Composition followed, with study under Josef Zawinul, whose affiliations included Weather Report and Miles Davis. Songwriting emerged later, directing him toward scoring for television and film. He relocated to Los Angeles in 1974 to establish himself in that field. Ancient Isle, his initial Celtic project, received a Visionary Awards nomination for World Album of the Year and a New Age Voice Awards nomination for Celtic Album of the Year. A journey to Ireland at the end of 1998 prompted the follow-up Miles of Skye, which blends original pieces with traditional material. Eric Rigler contributes uilleann pipes to “Miss Monaghans,” Steve McDonald sings on the title track, and Celtic vocalist Darby DeVon appears on “False Fly.”
Albums
