Mattie Barbier is an LA based musician and sonic researcher focused on experimental intonation, noise, and the physical processes of their instrument. Their playing has been described by the LA Times as being "of intense, brilliant, virtuosic growling that gave the striking impression that Barbier was dismantling the instrument while playing it," by the Wire as “exploring the nooks of instrumental tone far beyond the reach of most mortals,” and by the New Yorker as being a "diabolically inventive trombonist-composer."
Mattie engages in collaborative relationships with a range of musicians including Michelle Lou, Weston Olencki, Catherine Lamb, Kevin Drumm, Kaori Suzuki, Sarah Davachi, Jacob Kirkegaard, and Katherine Young. As an interpreter they have given premieres by and collaborated with a broad spectrum of composers including George Lewis, Liza Lim, Lester St. Louis, Wolfgang von Schweinitz, Clara Ionnatta, Scott Walker, and Raven Chacon.
Mattie is a member of RAGE Thormbones, wildUp, wasteLAnd music, echoi, and is an active soloist and improviser on low brass instruments and bagpipes. They teach at CalArts and Los Angeles City College (LACC).
Mattie has presented and created work for the Museum of Jurassic Technology, Getty Villa, Monday Evening Concerts, San Francisco Exploratorium, Indexical, Roulette Intermedium, RedCat, and Issue Project Room as well as in collaboration with holographer Tristan Duke. They have made festival appearances at Borealis, Maerzmusik, Bludenz Tage zeitgemäßer, Frequency Festival, and Kalv with upcoming engagements at Donaueschingen with the SWR and Musica Nova with the Helsinki Philharmonic. Various recording projects have been released on Sofa, Carrier, Populist, Mode, Hat Hut, Innova, Faux Amis, Domino, New Amsterdam, and Kairos Records.
