Matt Combs

Matt Combs is a Grammy-nominated producer, composer, educator, and one of Nashville’s most respected fiddle players. His career moves fluidly between studio work, stage performance, orchestration, and acoustic record-making — always grounded in tone, trust, and collaboration.

Raised in Wichita, Kansas, Combs began playing violin through the Suzuki method before shifting toward old-time and jazz, performing with his father and brothers in the Combs Family Band. He studied classical performance under Paul Kantor at the University of Michigan and spent a pivotal summer at the Aspen Music Festival, where his exposure to other traditions drew him toward the fiddle as a lifelong voice.

After winning the Rockygrass Fiddle Championship in 1996, Combs moved to Nashville and quickly became embedded in the city’s bluegrass scene. He found his footing at The Station Inn and eventually joined John Hartford’s band — initially on mandolin and later stepping into the full-time fiddle chair after Hartford lost the use of his hands. The two developed a close personal and professional bond, and Combs became a central figure in preserving Hartford’s legacy.

He performed on the Grammy-nominated album Memories of John, helped co-author John Hartford’s Mammoth Collection of Fiddle Tunes — a book of 176 previously unreleased compositions — and produced The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol. 1, a Grammy-nominated album featuring interpretations of Hartford’s writing by a wide cast of modern acoustic musicians. He continues that work today with Volume 2 and beyond.

Combs’ production work extends to projects like Pa’s Fiddle, The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, and ongoing collaborations at Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound. As a session player, he’s contributed to recordings by Cage the Elephant, Reba McEntire, Loretta Lynn, and Ceelo Green. His string arrangements and performances appear in television (Nashville, Yellowstone), video games (Red Dead Redemption 2), and film scores (The Menu, Horizon: An American Saga). His solo album Devil’s Box featured John Hartford, Chris Sharp, and Mike Compton and remains a touchstone for traditional fiddle players.

A longtime member of the Grand Ole Opry house band, Combs has performed with Norman and Nancy Blake, Patty Loveless, Marty Stuart, Jerry Douglas, and Ray Price. He has toured with Reba McEntire and continues to collaborate with a wide range of traditional and contemporary artists across genres.

Combs is also the Director of the fiddle program at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. Through partnerships with the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Symphony, he co-leads educational outreach programs like “Is it a Fiddle or Violin?”, bringing the instrument’s history and range to new audiences.

In 2025, he co-founded The Nashville Collective with longtime collaborator Chris Sharp. Together, they produce full records with a live-first approach, shaping arrangements, overdubs, and mix decisions through a co-production model that values clarity, patience, and musical honesty.

Matt Combs doesn’t chase credits. He listens closely, plays for the song, and makes records that hold up.