Matt earned tenure as Associate Professor of Viola at the University of Oklahoma (2000-2007), and was previously a teaching assistant at both Rice University's Shepherd School and Amherst College. He has taught at several Front Range universities, including the University of Colorado, and is currently Director of Chamber Music for the Greater Boulder Youth Orchestra.
Matt has served on the faculties of many summer festivals, including Apple Hill, Texas Music Festival, Heifetz Institute, Green Mountain Festival, Musicorda, Lamont Academy, and Greenwood Music Camp. Masterclasses have been given at the 2010 National Suzuki Conference, 33rd International Viola Congress (Iceland), University of Houston, University of Arkansas, OK Mozart Festival, Brigham Young University, Arizona State University, University of Wisconsin, Florida State University, and the University of Colorado among others.
Matt is very proud of all of his former students. As violists, many are employed as performers and teachers from San Diego to Boston, having studied at schools such as The Juilliard School, Eastman, New England Conservatory, Oberlin, and the University of Colorado. Others have earned degrees all over the academic map and are now physicists, teachers of all kinds, meteorologists, filmmakers, engineers, data scientists…you name it, they’re doing it.
Matt has served as an adjudicator for national competitions including both the Primrose International Viola Competition and the AVS Solo Competition, and has judged many regional solo and chamber competitions as well.
I am happy to meet now with prospective viola students and chamber ensembles of all ages who are committed to developing their musical skills. My background in university teaching makes me particularly well-qualified to help students prepare for musical studies in college, but I really enjoy working with people with different degree/long-range goals as well. Lessons on either short-term (with a specific project/issue/audition in mind) or long-term basis are possible. I also hold a monthly studio performance class, occasionally with a guest teacher, which greatly complements private lessons.
In private lessons, my main objectives are to challenge and inspire through a wide variety of repertory, etudes, and technique-building.
My teaching rate of $120 per one-hour lesson includes monthly studio classes.
In early June I often teach a special, intensive session called the Boulder Violist. Participants are usually experienced and of high school or university age, and I welcome them from around the region based on teacher recommendation.
During the Pandemic in 2020, an unexpected bright spot of the time was arranging studio classes on Zoom with violists around the US and Europe, including Jonathan Brown (Colburn School), Kathryn Lockwood (Montclair), Kerri Ryan (Philadelphia Orch), Kirsten Docter (Oberlin), Anait Arutunian (NEC), Kathy Wood (MacPhail Center) and Scott Dickinson (Philharmonia London).
(303) 507-3787, or