Colorado Spring Ring

Matthew Compton, a native of Colorado Springs, CO has been composing, arranging, and conducting music for handbells since 2007, when he was in the 8th grade. He had his first composition published at the age of 15, making him one of the youngest published handbell composers. Matthew graduated from Concordia University Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with an emphasis in Composition and Conducting.

Based now in Vancouver, WA, he is the music director of Bells of the Cascades in Portland, OR, Director of Music Ministries at Salmon Creek Church in Vancouver, and recently has become the new Artistic Director of Pikes Peak Ringers in Colorado Springs. Along with Alex Guebert, Matthew also co-directs Zenith, a new double handbell ensemble that is made up of 30 auditioned musicians from around the world each year. In addition to being a guest clinician at handbell festivals across the country, his music is frequently used at local and national handbell festivals, like the Bay View Week of Handbells and Distinctly Bronze East and West. In his limited spare time, Matthew can occasionally be found streaming a variety of games and music performances on Twitch, going hiking, or enjoying any number of movies, anime, or TV shows!