The CV of Composer/Lyricist Matthew Brown as of May 2020

1. Brown • Curriculum vitae 1
Matthew R. Brown
Composer • Music Director • Baritone
matthewrbrownmusic.com • (713) 518-7925 • matt.rich.brown@gmail.com
Education
The Catholic University of America – Washington, D.C.
Master of Music Expected May 2022
Major: Composition, Stage Music Emphasis
Pomona College – Claremont, CA
Bachelor of Arts May 2020
Major: Music, concentration in Composition
GPA: 3.94
Relevant Coursework: Private Composition Study with Thomas Flaherty, Music Theory,
Orchestration, Electronic Music Studio, Choral Conducting, Choral Literature
Awards and Distinctions (Pomona College)
• Gordon A. Hogan Memorial Prize: May 2020, awarded to a graduating senior in the
Department of Music
• Virginia Princehouse Allen Award: May 2020, awarded to non-majors who have made
“the greatest contribution to the activities of the Theatre Department”
• Pomona College Scholar: Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019,
“awarded to the top quarter of students in each class” as determined by GPA
• Bertha Clenenden McCord Memorial Grant: May 2019, awarded in support of
participation in the Observership Program at Goodspeed Musicals in Summer 2019
• William F. Russell Prize in Music: May 2019, “for substantial accomplishment and
significant promise” in the study of music
• Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Award: March 2018, awarded in
support of independent research in music
o Title of Research: “Building Sound, Building Community: Changing Perspectives
in Choral Pedagogy,” a literature review of Choral Pedagogy textbooks 1973–
Present focusing on choral tone, skill building, and the conductor’s role.
Selected Compositions/Commissions
2020 Three Songs of New York (12 mins.), three songs for baritone and piano
Commissioned by baritone Zachary Freiman, Recording forthcoming.
2020 Incidental music for Pomona College’s production of Daphne’s Dive, for solo piano
dir. Anaïs Gonzalez Nyberg. Premiered at a Zoom reading, April 2020.

2. Brown • Curriculum vitae 2
2019 Epistola: A Chamber Cantata (45 mins.), for mixed voices, string quartet, and piano
Senior Thesis in Composition, premiered at Pomona College, Nov. 2019
2019 Ave verum corpus (4.5 mins.), for mixed voices
Submitted to ACDA Brock Student Composers Competition, May 2019
2019 Perchance to Dream (4.5 mins), for solo flute
Premiered at Pomona College, April 2019
2019 Two Poems by Oscar Wilde (6.5 mins), two songs for soprano and piano
Premiered at Pomona College, April 2019
2019 “Space Dumbo” (4 mins.), theater song for baritone and piano (Lyrics by Roei Cohen)
Commissioned for the play How to Adult!, Hollywood Fringe Festival, June 2019
2019 “The Show Circle” (5 mins.) theater song for mixed voices and piano
Commissioned by Professor Giovanni Ortega, Pomona College, May 2019
2019 “Sagehen, Next” (4 mins.), arrangement for a cappella group (Lyrics by Tom Campbell)
Commissioned by Pomona College Office of Admissions, published March 2019
2019 My Name is Lila (15 mins.), musical theater work in one act (dir. Regina Famatigan)
Premiered at Pomona College’s 24-Hour Play Festival, March 2019
2017 The Beginner’s Guide to Falling in Love (130 mins.), musical theater work in two acts
Produced by The Green Room (Pomona College), Dec. 2017 (dir. Owen Halstad)
Current Projects
2020 Rising Stars, musical theater work in two acts (Book by Owen Halstad)
Originally scheduled: May 2020, Pomona College. Postponed (COVID-19)
2020 My Name is Lila, play with music in two acts (based upon the earlier 15-minute musical)
2021 Aisle 5, musical theater work in two acts (Book by Martin VanBuren III)
Commissioned score. Upcoming Workshop: Spring 2021, Castleton University
Professional Experience
Aug.–Apr. 2019 Social Media Manager, Santa Fe Desert Chorale
Updated the Desert Chorale’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts to promote
upcoming events and highlight the work of the Chorale’s members.
July–Aug. 2019 Intern, Santa Fe Desert Chorale
Assisted in multiple departments, including box office, house management, development,
and social media management.

3. Brown • Curriculum vitae 3
Sep. ’19–May ’20 Music Department Mentor (Pomona College)
Held weekly mentor hours to assist music theory students with their assignments.
Sep. ’18–May ’20 Music Librarian (Pomona College)
Managed practice room usage and the checking in and out of scores and recordings.
Sep. ’16–May ’20 Administrator and Volunteer Teacher (Claremont Splash)
Coordinated logistics for events, served as organization’s president 2018–19. Courses
taught: Anatomy of a Hit Song, Building the Disney Musical.
Jan. ’17–May ’20 Tour Guide, Pomona College Office of Admissions
Gave tours to prospective families, assisted with admissions programming
Jan ’17–May ’19 Pomona College Choir Manager (Head Manager, Fall 2018)
Coordinated with conductor regarding preparation for weekly rehearsals and managed the
distribution of music and folders.
Sep. ’18–May ’19 Liaison, Pomona College Department of Music
Served as a student representative of the Music department at academic fairs and
advertised for upcoming concerts.
Music Direction/Conducting Experience
Jan. 2020– Camp Rising Star dir. Owen Halstad
Sep.–Dec. 2019 21 Chump Street: The Musical dir. Emily Ramirez
Sep.–Nov. 2019 Epistola: A Chamber Cantata cond. Matthew Brown
Mar. 2019 My Name is Lila: A 15–Minute Musical dir. Regina Famatigan
Sep.–Nov. 2018 Lost and Found: A Musical Theater Revue dir. Lucy Geller
Sep.–Dec. 2017 The Beginner’s Guide to Falling in Love dir. Owen Halstad
Other Musical Experience
• Goodspeed Musicals Observership Program, June 2019: Shadowed music director
and assisted music team with preparation of instrumental and vocal scores for Because of
Winn Dixie: A New Musical (Music by Duncan Sheik, Book & Lyrics by Nell Benjamin)
• Guest Composer and Asst. Music Director, March-May 2019: THEA 091, Musical
Theater Performance; Course taught by Professor Giovanni Ortega (Pomona College)
Wrote an original song for the class of 20 students, taught vocal parts, and accompanied
during performance; assisted class accompanist and music director, Janice Wainwright.
• Composer and Music Supervisor, Jan. 2020–May 2020: Daphne’s Dive.
Created original music adapting sections of Quiara Alegría Hudes’s texts and creating
underscoring for select moments. Curated solo piano works by several Puerto Rican and
Cuban classical composers for scene transitions, and prepared the scores for the pianist.

4. Brown • Curriculum vitae 4
• Voice Lessons: 2013–Present: Lauren Pastorek (2013–2016), Scott Graff (2016–2020)
o Sample Repertoire: Bach, “Betrache, meine Seel” from St. John Passion, BWV
245; Mozart, “Donne mie la fate a tanti” from Cosí fan tutte, K. 588; Poulenc,
Quatre Poèmes de Guillaume Apollinaire, FP 58
• Piano Lessons: 2017–Present: Philip Young
o Sample Repertoire: Chopin, Waltz in D-flat major, Op. 64, No. 1; Bach,
“Invention No. 1 in C Major,” BWV 772; Copland, “Scherzo Humoristique (The
Cat and The Mouse)” (1920)
• Pomona College Choir, Donna M. Di Grazia, conductor: Sep. 2016–Present
• Pomona College Glee Club, Donna M. Di Grazia, conductor: Jan. 2017–Present
• Webinars: Emily Grishman, Kait Kerrigan, Andrea Grody
Related Skills and Languages
• Music Software: Finale, Garageband, Logic Pro, Digital Performer
• Other Software: Microsoft Office, Google Drive, Adobe Acrobat
• Languages: English (native), Spanish (fluent), German (beginner-intermediate)
Memberships
• Phi Beta Kappa: Member since May 2020
• American Choral Directors Association: Member since June 2018
• Sigma Delta Pi: Inducted April 2018, National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society
• Cum Laude Society: Inducted May 2016, organization dedicated to “honoring scholastic
achievement in secondary schools”