Matthew Salvaggio » Ohio Artist Registry

Conductor Matthew Salvaggio is a dynamic artist dedicated to exploring and promoting new music, reimagining diverse orchestral performance experiences, and creating equitable access to music education.

He founded the Cleveland Repertory Orchestra in 2021 to explore the breadth of the orchestral repertoire, with an emphasis on new music and music by historically excluded voices. Additionally, the 2022/23 season marks his second season as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Erie Junior Philharmonic, sixth season as Music Director of the Euclid Symphony Orchestra, and second season as Director of Orchestras at Mercyhurst University.

Matt was a 2021 Second Prize winner of the American Prize in wind conducting and a 2015 semi-finalist in the National Band Association’s Young Conductor Mentor Project. In 2019, he was a finalist for conducting positions with both the United States Army and Air Force Bands – an honor reserved for a select few each year.

Committed to increasing access to music education, in 2022 Matt announced an initiative to expand the Erie Junior Philharmonic’s Prelude program for beginning students to include opportunities for beginning woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments. In 2019, he established the Tom Baker Young Artists Competition with the Euclid Symphony Orchestra. The annual competition, which has attracted students from throughout the Midwest, awards the winner a concerto performance opportunity with the ESO and a cash prize.

An advocate for new music, Matt has commissioned works from composers including Mark Camphouse, Griffin Candey, Steve Danyew, Anthony O’Toole, Michael Kallstrom, Kevin Walczyk, and Tony Manfredonia. Artistic collaborations include Alan Baer (New York Philharmonic), John Rautenberg (Cleveland Orchestra), John DiCesare (Seattle Symphony), Joshua Lauretig (Buffalo Philharmonic), Kyra Kester (Akron Symphony), Cameron Leach, J.c. Sherman, Emily Cornelius, and Liesl Hook.

Matt recently completed six seasons as the Musical and Artistic Director of the University Heights Symphonic Band and previously served on the conducting faculty at Hiram College and Lakeland Community College. With his ensembles, he has trained and mentored young conductors and music teachers, offering conducting opportunities, coaching, and mentorship to those early in their careers. He is active as a guest conductor and clinician and has been invited to conduct local public-school bands, community bands, summer music camps, and honors ensembles. 

While completing his master’s degree, Matt founded the Kent Intercollegiate Wind Ensemble, a community/service-based ensemble with which he conducted several world premieres and recorded two film scores. Matt held graduate assistantships in conducting working with the orchestras and bands at Kent State University, and was a guest conductor in residence with the Medina Community Band in 2007 while completing his undergraduate degree.

Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Akron and a master’s degree in conducting from Kent State University where he studied with Scott Seaton and Wayne Gorder. He has undertaken additional conducting study in symposia with Donald Hunsberger, Mallory Thompson, Kenneth Kiesler, Michael Haithcock, Rodney Winther, and Michael Votta. Matt maintains memberships in the National Conductors Guild, Ohio Music Education Association, National Association for Music Education, Association of Concert Bands, and Tau Beta Sigma.

Matt lives in Cleveland with his partner, Joshua.

Learn more at http://www.matthewsalvaggio.com.