Music Music History and World Music Instructors
Music History and World Music Instructors
Matthew Roy's first experience as a choral conductor was as a Masters student at Eastern Washington University where, among other works, he premiered "Little Tree," an original composition based on the poetry of Scottish preacher and mystic George MacDonald. Since then he has led a variety of ensembles from community youth choruses to high school musicals. As a graduate of Westmont College ('07) he studied choral and orchestral conducting with Steve Hodson, subsequently working with Julian Gomez-Giraldo, Kristina Ploeger-Hekmatpanah and Alissa Aune. He has a Masters in Music from Eastern Washington University ('12) and a PhD in Music from UCSB ('18). He is currently the Music Director at El Montecito Presbyterian Church where he leads the Chancel Choir and Praise Band.
As a co-Director of Choral Union, Matthew is interested in introducing students to the fundamentals of choral singing and reinforcing the standards of excellence that exemplify all Westmont ensembles. His experiences in choral music through multiple lenses—as a director, singer, accompanist, conductor, and scholar—and background in music history, world music, and linguistics allow him to engage students in the practices of making music from a wide variety of angles.