Biography

SFC Matthew Evans, an active soloist, chamber musician, teacher, and arranger, has performed in Thailand, Scotland, Germany, Japan, and throughout the United States. Along with his academic degrees, he has been awarded the Performer's Certificate at both the Eastman School of Music and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, the highest performance distinction awarded at both institutions.Evans is a founding member of two saxophone quartets: Zzyzx Quartet and Project Fusion. In 2012, Zzyzx performed a featured concerto at North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference in Tempe, AZ, and in 2011 became the first American chamber ensemble to advance to the semi-final round of the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in Osaka, Japan. Project Fusion sparked national interest by displaying the distinct practice of performing entire musical programs from memory. They won the Gold Medal at the 40th Annual Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, and took both the Grand Prize and the Hugo Vianello Audience Choice Award at the 6th Plowman Chamber Music Competition. Evans has also won awards in the Music Teachers National Association Chamber Ensemble and Woodwind Solo Competitions, the North American Saxophone Alliance Quartet Competition, the J.C. Arriaga Chamber Music Competition, and the 65th Coleman International Chamber Music Competition. In 2013, Evans received the John Celantano Award for Excellence in Chamber Music from the Eastman School of Music.A new music enthusiast, Evans is past-president of OSSIA New Music and Director of Development with the [Switch~ Ensemble], a chamber music group dedicated to the promotion and creation of electroacoustic music. He regularly premieres new works by American composers, including recent compositions by Jason Thorpe Buchanan, Benjamin Hjertmann, and John Mackey.Originally from the small Midwestern town of Kokomo, Indiana, Evans loves living in Washington, DC, where you can find him running, taking part in board games, and spending time with friends and family.