Dmitri Matheny is a devoted advocate for the arts and a tireless, inspiring educator. Teaching the joys of jazz—whether to aspiring artists, audiences, adults or children—is a major focus for Dmitri both at home and on the road.
RESIDENCIES — Dmitri is known for having a unique ability to bring out the very best in aspiring young musicians. He accepts extended residencies and teaching positions on an availability basis.
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT — Dmitri is the creator of Discover Jazz, an innovative jazz appreciation course for adults in association with the San Francisco Jazz Festival. Presented at San Francisco's Jewish Community Center, Discover Jazz explores the music's colorful mythology, key figures, recordings, forms, and ideas.
CLASSROOM TEACHING — Dmitri has taught youth and adult classes in jazz history and appreciation, music theory, jazz harmony, film scoring, composition, arranging, orchestration, the music business, contract negotiation, recording, publicity, marketing, e-commerce and fundraising.
FACULTY POSITIONS — Matheny's past appointments include Director of Education and Director of Development for SFJAZZ (the largest nonprofit jazz presenter on the West Coast), Assistant Education Director for the Thelonious Monk Institute Jazz Colony, Artist-In-Residence for the Siskiyou Institute of Ashland, Oregon and the Young Musicians Program of UC Berkeley, and faculty of the Stanford Jazz Workshop and the Jazzschool of Berkeley, California.
PRIVATE LESSONS — Dmitri offers private lessons, on an availability basis, to professional musicians and serious students. Lessons focus on the fundamentals of brass technique, melodic interpretation and jazz improvisation.
YOUTH CONCERTS — The Dmitri Matheny Group and Grant & Matheny duo work with arts organizations and concert presenters to provide children in underserved communities with the experience of hearing jazz live-in-concert. Each program is tailored to the unique needs and experience level of the children, with the goal of informing, enlightening and inspiring all involved.
SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES — As teaching artists of the San Francisco Symphony Adventures in Music program, the Dmitri Matheny Group has provided over 500 free, curriculum-based concerts in schools, serving more than 50,000 children.
JAZZ SCHOLARSHIPS — Since 1999, the Art Farmer Jazz Scholarship Fund (created by Dmitri Matheny in honor of his mentor) has provided merit-based financial assistance awards to promising young students of jazz.
FAMILY MATINEE CONCERTS — Dmitri's original family show The SnowCat teaches literacy and a love of the arts with an entertaining theatrical production that combines storytelling, singing, visual art and live music.
SALON CONCERTS — In-home performances, a trademark of the Grant & Matheny duo, offer an intimate look at the artists' creative process.
SYMPOSIA — Dmitri is frequently invited to participate in panel discussions and symposia held at music festivals and industry conferences.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS — Matheny has served as a moderator, speaker, presenter, site visitor and peer review panelist for the California Arts Council, Chamber Music America, National Endowment for the Arts and International Association of Jazz Educators.
INFORMANCES — Throughout the year, Dmitri offers clinics, lecture/demonstrations and "informances" for professional musicians and serious students of jazz. These are customized educational performances with commentary, in which Dmitri and his fellow musicians share their ideas and personal insights into the nuances of jazz performance.
MASTERCLASSES — Masterclasses provide an opportunity for student ensembles to perform excerpts from their repertoire, then receive constructive critique and evaluation. Prior to each Master Class, Dmitri meets with the ensemble director or teacher to discuss particular concepts to be discussed and reinforced. Upon the student group's completion of each performed selection, Dmitri and his musicians offer thoughtful commentary, encouraging praise and suggestions for how to strengthen the next performance.
CLINICS — As a clinician, Dmitri works with student musicians to convey key musical concepts and techniques, such as dynamics, articulation, melodic interpretation, phrasing, time-keeping, chord voicing and improvisation.
WORKSHOPS — Intensive workshops provide students with specialized training in a particular style or technique of performance. Workshops usually either take the form of a guided sectional rehearsal [for the rhythm section, brass, and/or woodwinds] or an individual coaching session focused on soloists and other key personnel.
CONSULTING — Matheny provides confidential career assessment and guidance to fellow musicians and independent consulting services to leading arts organizations. As a consultant with the National Jazz Service Organization (NJSO), Matheny has advised dozens of professional musicians and has counseled a diverse roster of corporate, nonprofit and government clients on strategic planning, curriculum development and fundraising. Past and current clients include American Airlines, Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead, The Kennedy Center, Hawaii International Jazz Festival, Healdsburg Jazz Festival, the Jazzschool, Oakland Jazz Choir, Rhythmic Concepts, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Stanford Jazz Workshop, Telegraph Avenue Neighborhood Association of Berkeley, University of California Jazz Ensembles and the Young Musicians Program of UC Berkeley.
LEADERSHIP — Matheny's contributions to the field include volunteer service on various governing boards. A past president of the Berklee College of Music California Alumni Association, Dmitri formerly served on the San Francisco Board of Governors of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences [NARAS] and the Board of Trustees of SFJAZZ, the San Francisco Jazz Organization. He currently serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors of Jazz in Arizona, a nonprofit arts organization which cultivates jazz interest through education, community outreach, concert presentation and youth scholarship opportunities.
Dmitri has established a youth scholarship
fund in memory of his mentor,
the legendary Art Farmer.
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Passing the Torch
Dmitri and James demonstrate that you're never to young to start playing an instrument.
Dmitri created "Discover Jazz," a music history and appreciation course for adults, in association with the San Francisco Jazz Festival.
Children at the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, California enjoy a family matinee concert by the Dmitri Matheny Group.
Dmitri and his musicians use the rhythms of jazz to encourage literacy and the joy of reading.
Dmitri's original family show The SnowCat teaches literacy and a love of the arts through an entertaining theatrical production that combines storytelling, singing, visual art and live music.
Dmitri served as co-curator of the Jazz Noir Film Festival, an educational series of classic films and lectures in San Francisco.
The Grant & Matheny duo's popular Salon Concerts offer a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process.
Randall Kline, Bobby Hutcherson and Dmitri Matheny discuss the music of John Coltrane at SFJAZZ, San Francisco, California
Dmitri Matheny appeared with the San Francisco Symphony in "Jazz at the Symphony," a family concert at Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, California.
Dmitri Matheny, Yvonne Ervin and Don Braden offer insights into the changing landscape of the music business at the International Association of Jazz Educators conference, New York
Stanley Turrentine, Les McCann, Herb Wong, Terence Blanchard and Dmitri Matheny take questions at the Telluride Jazz Celebration, Colorado
Terence Blanchard, Holly Hofmann, Herb Wong, Dmitri Matheny and Stanley Jordan hold a panel discussion at the Telluride Jazz Celebration, Colorado
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