Composer, conductor, and educator Matthew Forte is in demand across the United States as a composer of music for orchestra, band, choirs, as well as solo and chamber works; as a music educator and clinician; and as a conductor of orchestras and bands.
Most recently, Matthew was Director of Orchestral Studies both at the University of New Mexico and at the University of Toledo, revitalizing both programs and nearly doubling the size of the University of New Mexico and University of Toledo Symphony Orchestras. In addition to his work as an educator, Matt has worked with such orchestras as the St. Louis Symphony, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, and the New Mexico Philharmonic– and has collaborated frequently with the Aspen Music Festival and School.
Currently, Matt’s primary vocation in music –in both professional settings and in academia– is as a composer. Ensembles and organizations that he has recently collaborated with include the Hartt School, the University of New Mexico, Lawrence Conservatory, Grand Valley State University, Glass City Singers, Musique 21, the International Women’s Brass Conference, the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, and the Sitka Fine Arts Camp, among others.
In addition to his activities in music, Matt maintains a parallel career on and around the water, as an active sailor and sailing instructor. He is a USCG Certified Captain and the Supervisor of Sailing Programs at the Sailing Center of the Mystic Seaport Museum– one of the largest sail education programs on the eastern seaboard, housed within the largest maritime museum in the United States.