Matt Penland is a percussion performer, educator, and arranger based out of Washington, D.C. where he is a percussionist in the U.S. Air Force Band. Matt is also a staff member of The Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps (Santa Clara, CA) and has arranged music for several marching percussion groups across the country, notably Marian Catholic High School (Chicago Heights, IL), Northwestern University (Evanston, IL), Centennial High School (Frisco, TX) and Loveland High School (Loveland, OH).
Displaying a comprehensive background in both classical and marching percussion, Matt's performance accolades include: 3rd prizewinner of the prestigious 2014 TROMP International Percussion Competition in the Netherlands, winner of the 2014 Illinois PAS Mock Audition and Top prizewinner of the 2013 Atlanta Modern Snare Drum Competition. He was also a 2015 Great Plains Marimba Competition Semifinalist and 2014 Southern California Marimba Competition (duo category) Semifinalist. As a marching percussion soloist Matt was the 2011 DCI Individual and Ensemble Tenor Champion and the 2009 PASIC Collegiate Tenor Solo Champion.
Matt has been a featured soloist and clinician at events and schools including the Texas Music Educators Association convention, the International Percussion Festival Seoul in South Korea, the Nebraska PAS Day of Percussion, and at the University of North Carolina-Pembroke. He has experience playing in orchestras and wind ensembles around the country, including the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and in 2015 was a Music Academy of the West percussion fellow. Matt has taught private lessons to students ranging from beginners to collegiate level and was most recently the instructor of the Northwestern University “Wildcat” Marching Band. As a rudimental percussionist he was a member of the Santa Clara Vanguard, Phantom Regiment, Carolina Crown, and Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps.
Matt holds a Master’s degree from Northwestern University where he studied with She-e Wu, Chris Lamb, Vadim Karpinos and James Ross, and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas where he studied with Mark Ford, Christopher Deane, Paul Rennick and Robert Schietroma.