Biography

Matt Hightower is Associate Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Prior to his appointment at Indiana, he served on the faculties of Florida State University, the University of Kentucky, and Texas A&M University–Kingsville.

An award-winning performer, composer, and educator, Hightower is a member of the Emerald Brass Quintet and has performed with ensembles including the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, Lexington Philharmonic, Sarasota Symphony Orchestra, and Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, where he served as Principal Tuba.

His recordings include Re(in)spiration (2019), a finalist for the 2021 International Tuba Euphonium Association (ITEA) Roger Bobo Award for Excellence in Recording; Rapid Run (2025), winner of the Roger Bobo Award for Excellence in Recording (Chamber Music); and Renewal (2026), featuring new works for solo tuba. As a composer, he received the ITEA Winston Morris Award for Tuba Ensemble Composition in 2021 and 2025 and the Harvey Phillips Award for Excellence in Composition in 2023.

Hightower’s students are active throughout the profession as educators and performers, with many earning recognition at national and international competitions and conferences.

Hightower earned degrees from Murray State University, Indiana University, and The University of Texas at Austin. He is a B&S Performing Artist.