Matthew Gardner is the recipient of the third annual Kayoko Dan Conducting Scholarship. The scholarship will offer Gardner an opportunity to work with the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera’s music director during the 2019-20 season.
Gardner is a senior instrumental music education major and percussionist at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. A native of Chattanooga, he graduated from Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences.
After graduating from UTC in 2020, he plans to further his education in percussion performance and orchestral conducting. He has held principal positions in orchestras and ensembles in the Chattanooga area, including the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera Youth Orchestras and the UTC Orchestra.
“I was lucky to learn from a number of mentors when I was a young conductor, and while I can never repay them for their guidance, I can continue to pay it forward by mentoring a new generation of conductors,” says Dan, who will celebrate her ninth year as the CSO’s music director and conductor in September. “I’m excited to begin working with Matthew, a very promising young musician.”
In addition to the scholarship, Gardner will learn score study techniques, orchestra operations, management and leadership skills and rehearsal techniques. Individual conducting lessons with Dan are included, as well as opportunities to attend CSO rehearsals and performances throughout the season.
More about the Kayoko Dan Conducting Scholarship
Source: Chattanooga Symphony & Opera