My Quintet for Winds, No. 1 was selected for performance at the Society of Composers, Inc. (SCI) Region VI Conference at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The conference lasted from March 6-8, 2015, and was in the middle of the worst winter storms this area has seen. After being delayed an entire day because of the ice, some colleagues and I headed to Arkansas with thankfully no more weather troubles. 

The conference was a great experience - meeting old friends, making new ones, and hearing a plethora of amazing new pieces. My woodwind quintet was performed by the HSU Faculty Woodwind Quintet:  Jennifer Amox (flute), Dr. Shannon Clardy (oboe), Dr. Steven Becraft (Bb clarinet), Amy Laursen (French horn), and Dr. Maralyn Sommer (bassoon).

My arrangements of three Christmas songs were performed for a second time by the Fort Worth Civic Orchestra at their annual Teddy Bear Concert.

This produced a great recording of my Concertino for Bassoon, Celesta, and String Quartet. It was a busy time of the semester, and everyone involved was very stressed and overworked, but it turned out to be a great experience. Thanks go to Ian Guthrie (celesta), Erik López (bassoon), Jiazhi Zhang, Catherine Beck (violin), Elitsa Atanasova (viola), Foster Baird (cello), and Will Wood for helping with sound!

The third movement of String Quartet No. 2 was given an excellent performance by Jiazhi Zhang, Catherine Beck, (violin), Elitsa Atanasova (viola), and McCaryn Bourgeois (cello).

For six weeks this summer I spent my time learning the wonderful German language in Tübingen, Germany, at the Sprachinstitut Tübingen (SIT). I was also able to hear many concerts of both old and new music.

Matthew was inducted into Delta Phi Alpha, a German honors society.

Due to an unexpected ice storm, a concert in December became impossible. So, my arrangements of three Christmas songs were premiered in January at the rescheduled Teddy Bear Concert put on by the Fort Worth Civic Orchestra. 

Fanfarewell was premiered by the TCU Graduate Brass Quintet:  Carlos Andres Diaz, Chris Jeter (trumpet), Caiti Beth McKinney (French horn), Shawn Smith (trombone), and George Alberti (tuba).

Matthew is awarded a Graduate Assistantship and Stipend for the masters program in Music Composition at Texas Christian University.

Matthew is inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda, a music honors society.