An appeal by friends of Matt Dibble (Dec 1980 to May 2021), with the support and approval of Matt’s family.
Matt Dibble died in May, 2021, aged 40, from a cerebral hemorrhage shortly after receiving the Astra Zeneca vaccine.
His death was an unjust and devastating tragedy for his loving family. He was one of four close brothers, and an adored uncle to three girls and three boys. To them, as well as his friends and fellow musicians, he was an individual of uncommon kindness, who was relentlessly considerate to everyone he knew, despite the well-known struggles of a life dedicated to music. He was also a musician of extraordinary depth, breadth, and talent.
Matt was working with many of us on a number of projects, some of which are now bearing fruit. But few of us knew about a secret and deeply personal undertaking, on which he’d slaved away for six straight years, remarkably finishing just weeks before he passed. It meant so much to him that, when he first went to hospital, he told those with him where the compositions could be found, should anything happen.
Together with Matt's family, we retrieved the compositions and discovered them to be an exceptional work of classical piano music: 24 beautiful Preludes and Fugues that demonstrated astonishing courage and passion. It’s a work that could only be done justice by a world-class pianist. We owed it to Matt to try and make that happen. To that end we managed to get the collection to top concert pianist and classical recording artist, Freddy Kempf.
We are excited to announce that having seen the music and despite being in huge demand, Freddy Kempf has agreed to record the entirety of the 24 Preludes and Fugues, giving Matt’s brilliant final work the life it deserves. He will also help us explore options to publish this recording around the world. We are seeking £16,000 to cover costs associated with the recording.
(You can hear Matt's own recording of the Prelude in G Minor, here.)
Any and all donations, through Crowdfunders, to help realize this final work of an unassuming, yet deeply gifted, composer, will be deeply valued. All proceeds from any music sales will go directly to a music scholarship (to be announced).
We thank you.
Matt’s loving friends