Matt Wood

    Born in Columbia, Missouri to two music educators, Matt is currently a DMA student of Nathaniel Brickens at the University of Texas – Austin.  Previously, he attended the University of Missouri – Columbia, where he studied with Nathaniel Brickens and Timothy Myers, receiving a BM (Summa Cum Laude) in 1995 and a MM in 1997.

While working on the BM, he was awarded the Pommer Memorial Scholarship, University Scholar Award, Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education Scholarship, and the 1995 Outstanding Graduating Senior Award.  He was also a member of the Honors College, and was invited to membership in the Pi Kappa Lambda music honor society.  During that time, he was selected by audition as principal trombone for the1994 Missouri All-Collegiate Band, and principal trombone for the 1995 Missouri All-Collegiate Orchestra.  1995 included a trip to the International Trombone Festival in Las Vegas where Matt was awarded Second Prize in the Lewis Van Haney Mock Orchestral Audition.

During Master’s studies, Matt was a member of the Buder Foundation Brass Quintet and served as a teaching assistant responsible for the low-brass techniques class, and studio instruction of majors and non-majors.  In 1997, he received the Superior Graduate Achievement Award, awarded by the UMC Graduate Student Association.

Performance credits include work in many disparate genres with various groups.  Matt has performed with the Missouri Orchestra Symphony Society, the Brazos Valley (TX) Orchestra, the Grammy-nominated Jim Widner Big Band, the rock/blues group The Dynamics, and has been a soloist with the Columbia Community Band and the Boone County Bassoon Band at the 1998 Missouri Bandmasters Convention.  He has also worked with the Temptations, Kenny Rogers, the Tony Barron Orchestra, and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra led by Buddy Morrow.

But wait!   What’s that strapped around his shoulders?  It’s a bass guitar!  Matt is also an accomplished performer on acoustic and electric bass, as is evidenced by his work with acoustic folk/blues artist Rob Boyle on the 1998 Peach Productions release “Generation Rain.”  While a member of the group Accidental Sugar, he was afforded the opportunity to work with Grammy-nominated producer Scott Mathews at Tikitown studios in San Francisco.  From 1989-1998, he was a member of the pit orchestra for UMC Summer Repertory Theater productions, and has also been a member of the After Eleven jazz combo, and the UMC World Percussion Ensemble.

Matt lives alone with two plants and has an affinity for smoky maple bacon and Wolf brand chili.