About

Matthew Lovelace serves as the inaugural conductor of the Fort Worth Medical Orchestra, the first ensemble of its type in the DFW area, dedicated to connecting those in the medical profession through music. He also serves as Director of Orchestras at The Colony High School in Lewisville ISD. He was named a finalist for the 2021 American Prize in Conducting – College/University Orchestra Division.

 

A dedicated music educator, Lovelace has many years of experience teaching orchestra in Texas public schools. After several years as a participant, he was invited to serve on the faculty of the Texas Conducting Workshop in 2023 and 2024. Previous conducting posts include Orchestra Director of the Trinity University Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Conductor of both the TCU Symphony the University of Texas at San Antonio Symphony, and Music Director for Texas Hill Country Opera and Arts where he conducted annual performances of the company’s New Year’s Eve production of Die Fledermaus. In 2017 he conducted the premiere of the chamber version of the one act opera Lady Bird: First Lady of the Land by composer Henry Mollicone and librettist Sheldon Harnick. Before beginning graduate studies at TCU, he was active as an actor and music director at Circle Arts Theatre in New Braunfels, TX.

 

Lovelace holds a DMA in Orchestral Conducting from Texas Christian University studying with Germán Gutiérrez. He earned a Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Texas at San Antonio where he studied conducting with Eugene Dowdy and violin with Stephanie Westney. His undergraduate degree is from Tarleton State University where he studied percussion with Rich Bahner and piano with Leslie Spotz. He has also participated in workshops and conducting symposiums with: Jeffrey Grogan, Kenneth Kiesler, Akiko Fujimoto, Clif Evans, Diane Wittry, Larry Livingston, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and Gary Lewis.

 

He is an inaugural member of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts Leadership Council of Tarleton State University and a member of Pi Kappa Lambda. His professional affiliations include the League of American Orchestras, the College Orchestra Directors Association, the Texas Music Educators Association, the International Conductors Guild, and the College Music Society.