Matt Moran

North Americas largest Balkan Music festival is coming up this weekend! There is nothing like the Zlatne Uste Golden Fest and there is nobody like Matt Moran, both fixtures of New York's global music scene. Vibraphone and percussion virtuoso Matt Moran is most widely known for his ensemble Slavic Soul Party who played their first performance at the Golden Fest over 2 decades ago. We chat with Matt about his journey and inspirations from Balkan music to Duke Ellington and the ingredients that make Golden Fest such a joyful celebration.   40th Golden Festival!   January 16-17, 2026 Friday: 7:00 pm – 12:30 am Saturday: 5:30 pm – 2:00 am The Marquee Astoria (formerly Astoria World Manor) 25-22 Astoria Blvd, Astoria, NY https://goldenfest.org/