Background, professional training and performance history
Matt Taylor is a saxophone/woodwind performer and educator. He completed a Master of Music/Jazz Studies degree at University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1998. His private studies included saxophone with Don Menza, Bob Bowlby and Jim Nesbit, clarinet with Felix Viscuglia, flute with Dr. Richard Soule and oboe with Dr. Steve Kaplan. After graduate school he found himself in demand as a saxophone player and woodwind doubler performing full time in Las Vegas, New York and touring. In Las Vegas, Matt played for Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, Gloria Estefan, Carol King, David Foster, Matt Catingub and the Las Vegas Philharmonic among others. Matt performed and recorded with The Las Vegas Jazz Connection featuring Bobby Shew and had the good fortune to share the stage with Pete Christlieb, Jack Montrose and many others.
For the past thirteen years he was in Las Vegas working on “The Strip” for a series of New York based broadway production companies playing Hairspray, The Producers, Motown and he recently completed eight plus years with Dodger Theatricals production of Jersey Boys at the Paris Hotel.
Matt is also a dedicated educator. He spent thirteen years teaching jazz studies at College of Southern Nevada. Prior to working at College of Southern Nevada he taught saxophone at the Armed Forces School of Music in Norfolk, Virginia. In addition to playing and teaching saxophone, clarinet, flute, oboe and English horn, he’s also a singer/songwriter and plays guitar and mandolin.
Artist statement and teaching philosophy
“I’ve found that developing my skills on all these various instruments has made me highly relatable to my students. As we develop our skills we are able to discuss the processes and help each other work through the considerable challenges involved in learning to play music."
Instruments & classes taught
Matt teaches saxophone, clarinet, flute, and oboe.