“Jillian Matundan is a remarkable artist whose music will stay with you. ”
— Ron Olesko, Folk Music Notebook
“Jillian Matundan has a husky voice that can be intimate, sensual or strong – with a percussive guitar sensibility that endangers folk audiences with imminent boogie. ”
— rob Hinkal, ilyAIMY
“There are voices that whisper, and then there's Jillian Matundan – whose rich, velvet tones don't just sing to you, they embrace your soul from the very first note. This award-winning songwriter doesn't simply perform music; she creates entire worlds with her multi-instrumental artistry and poetic storytelling.”
— Tina Ross, Singer-Songwriter & host of The Folk Project's Inside the Song
“The ability to create music that can be sat with intentionally, but can also live inside the everyday pulse of life’s rollercoaster, is a rare and almost unreachable gift. Jillian Matundan possesses it with a firm grip, singing lines like “just stay true to the course” like they were written for every listener who’s ever needed a reason to keep going.”
— Frank Viele, Bigger Beast Records
ABOUT JILLIAN
Jillian Matundan is a unique singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who continues to win over audiences with her warm, resonant vocals. Her songs tell stories that are relatable, while her unique guitar-style, and inviting stage presence draws her audience into every performance.
Hailing from Central New York, Jillian began training as a concert violinist at the age of three, while also learning piano, flute, and sitar. A musician to her core, Jillian, taught herself how to play other instruments including the guitar, string bass, and percussion.
After a fifteen-year hiatus from writing and playing her own music, to focus on a career in the labor movement, Jillian returned to songwriting in 2018 and performing in 2019. She has since won many awards and recognitions (including a special 2026 double Wammie award for Best Folk/Bluegrass Song and fifteen Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Awards); collaborating, playing and recording with other musicians; while playing venues that include Club Passim, The Bitter End, Rockwood Music Hall, Jammin' Java, and the Edwards Opera House. She's played a number of festivals, including the Annapolis Songwriter Festival (MD), Black Bear Festival (CT), and both the Takoma Park and Washington Folk Festivals. She has opened for Richard Shindell, Susan Werner, Ellis Paul, Laurie MacAllister (of Red Molly), Natalia Zuckerman, Jesse Terry, RJ Cowdery, Rachael Kilgour, Geneviève Racette, Scott Cook, Michael Clem, Greg Howard, and Anne Hills.
Jillian’s debut EP, "Hangin' On” was released in June 2020. Her first full-length album, “Singing to the Moon” debuted at No. 6 on the FAI Folk Chart in March 2024.
Jillian is a first-generation Filipina American. Jillian can be found playing with the McLean Symphony and Reston Community Orchestra. She is involved with a number of organizations, including Focus Music (DC/Baltimore Metro), where she is the President. She is a proud trade unionist and lives in Northern Virginia.
SHORT BIOs
(100 words)
Jillian Matundan is an award-winning, multi-instrumental singer-songwriter, trade unionist, and first-generation Filipina American who wins over audiences with her resonant vocals, acute and relatable observations, unique guitar-style, and sharp wit. Since returning to music in 2019, Jillian has been on a tear, winning songwriting awards (including a 2026 Wammie for Best Folk/Bluegrass Song and fifteen Mid-Atlantic Song Awards), playing numerous shows, and collaborating with musicians on stage and in the studio. She released her debut EP, "Hangin' On" in 2020. “Singing to the Moon”, her first full-length album, debuted at No. 6 on the FAI Folk Chart in March 2024.
(50 words)
Jillian Matundan, award-winning, multi-instrumental singer-songwriter, trade unionist, and first-generation Filipina American has delighted audiences with her resonant vocals, acute and relatable observations, unique guitar-style and sense of humor. "Singing to the Moon", her first full-length album, debuted at No. 6 on the FAI Folk Chart in March 2024.
