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IMPERIAL VALLEY SYMPHONY
Dr. Matthew Busse, Music Director
Joel Jacklich, Director Emeritus
OUR DIRECTOR
Dr. Matthew Busse
Dr. Matthew Busse is the current Music Director and Conductor of the Imperial Valley Symphony. He received his Bachelor of Music in Composition and Theory from Sam Houston State University in Texas where he studied composition with Dr. Newton Strandberg, piano performance under Dr. John Paul and conducting with Dr. Carol Smith. In 1996, he received his Masters of Music in Music Theory at the University of Houston studying composition under Dr. Robert Nelson and music theory with Dr. John Snyder. His conducting studies continued with Mariusz Smolij and Kirk Trevor at Northwestern University in 2001. In 2012, he received his doctorate in conducting from the University of South Carolina where he studied with conductor, Dr. Donald Portnoy. From 1998-2004 he was the Director of Orchestras at Cypress Creek High School in Houston, TX and also taught courses in electronic music, music theory and piano at North Harris Community College. In 2002, he founded the Northwest Houston Symphony Orchestra, a community orchestra which he later took on a seven city tour of China with renowned pianist, Tian Jiang as well as other performances around the country. From 2004-2005, he served as the Director of Orchestras at the Savannah Arts Academy in Savannah, GA.
In addition to his role with the Imperial Valley Symphony, Dr. Busse also serves as the Director of Orchestras at Southwest High School in El Centro, CA--a position he has held since 2007. Under his leadership, his orchestras have performed successfully at several national festivals including ASTA (American String Teachers Association) conventions in Atlanta and Santa Clara, CA, Avery Fisher Hall in NYC, Orchestra Hall in Chicago and Carnegie Hall in New York. The SHS Chamber Orchestra continues to perform regularly in an around Southern California—many times in collaboration with guest artists from the San Diego area (San Diego Symphony, SDSU). His ensembles routinely earn unanimous superior ratings at SCSBOA (Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association) festivals at both the district and regional levels.
Musicians are by nature communicators. In their performances and with their unique interpretation, they convey the style and the meaning of a work to their audience. Dr. Busse continues to remain active as a conductor, educator, composer, and pianist. As an educator, Dr. Busse firmly believes in giving students every opportunity to expose them to the arts. He is passionate about giving young musicians an opportunity to flourish in a nurturing yet structured and disciplined environment. As a conductor, he is active in promoting the works of modern composers and lesser known works.
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