Hammer dulcimer and cimbalom have become an important part of Matthew’s artistic endeavors.  From commissioning new chamber works with dulcimer (recordings cited below), performing works of recognized composers such as Berkhout, Crumb, and Hyla, to performing orchestral repertoire, Matthew continues an extensive schedule involved with the zither family.

Glitz! by Bjorn Berkhout

(Dulcimer, Marimba, Vibraphone and Glockenspiel)

About the dulcimer and cimbalom from Wikipedia:

The zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures. The term "citre" is also used more broadly, to describe the entire family of stringed instruments in which the strings do not extend beyond the sounding box, including the hammered dulcimer, psaltery, Appalachian dulcimer, kantele, guzheng, koto, gayageum, đàn tranh, kanun, autoharp, piano, harpsichord, santur, swarmandal, and others.

The hammered dulcimer (also hammer dulcimer and four hammer dulcimer) is a stringed musical instrument with the strings stretched over a trapezoidal sounding board. Typically, the dulcimer is set on a stand, at an angle, before the musician, who holds small mallet hammers in each hand to strike the strings (cf. Appalachian dulcimer). The word dulcimer is Graeco-Roman, meaning "sweet song", it derives from the Latin dulcis (sweet) and the Greek melos (song). The dulcimer's origin is uncertain, but tradition holds it was invented in Iran some 2000 years ago, where it is called a Santur (cf. the folkloric Kashmiri Santoor). Versions of the hammered dulcimer are used throughout the world. In Eastern Europe a larger descendant of the hammered dulcimer called the cimbalom is played and has been used by a number of classical composers, including Zoltán Kodály, Igor Stravinsky and Pierre Boulez. The khim is a Thai hammered dulcimer. The Chinese yangqin is a type of hammered dulcimer that originated in Persia. The Santur and Santoor are found in the Middle East and India, respectively.

The cimbalom (most common spelling), cymbalom, cymbalum (see Trivia), ţambal, tsymbaly, tsimbl, santouri, or sandouri is a type of hammered dulcimer found mainly in Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Poland and Greece. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia it is also known as a cimbal.

REPERTOIRE ON DULCIMER

Three-part Sinfonias (I-IV) (dulcimer, flute, bassoon)

J.S. Bach

Moonlight Sonata (dulcimer, clarinet, cello)

L. van Beethoven/Arranged B. Berkhout

The Bar Music Album: Hey, Listen to Me!, Sit Back and Relax, Catch Your Breath, Along for the Ride (clarinet, vibraphone, piano, dulcimer, cello)

Bjorn Berkhout

Glitz! (dulcimer, marimba, vibraphone)

Bjorn Berkhout

Uphill (baritone voice, dulcimer, percussion, vibraphone, piano)

Bjorn Berkhout

Waiting for the Unexpected Rain (dulcimer, cello, vibraphone)

Matthew Coley

Quest (soprano sax, harp, guitar, double bass, 2 percussion [dulcimer])

George Crumb

Amnesia Variance (clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, and dulcimer)

Lee Hyla

Trio for Dulcimer, Clarinet and Cello

R. Leistner-Mayer

Folk selections

traditional

REPERTOIRE ON CIMBALOM

Hary Janos Suite

Zoltan Kodaly

Renard and Ragtime

Igor Stravinski