Quick Facts
Biography
Rick VanMatre is an American saxophonist, composer, conductor and educator. As a musician, he has performed as a soloist with the New York Repertory Orchestra and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and recorded with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and PsychoAcoustic Orchestra. VanMatre has produced numerous albums, including Serenade in Blue and currently performs as the leader of the Rick VanMatre Quintet.
Career
During his career, VanMatre has performed internationally in places such as the United States, Poland, Israel, France, Germany, and China. VanMatre has also produced four albums for Sea Breeze Records as conductor of the UC-CCM Jazz Ensemble including Serenade in Blue.
VanMatre is a professor at the University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music where he teaches Saxophone and Jazz Studies as an adjunct professor emeritus. He had previously served as the Director of Jazz Studies, retiring after 30 years, during which time he established a Jazz Recording Studio as well as additional degree programs (expanded BM in Jazz, created MM in Jazz Studies, and created DMA in Saxophone). During his tenure as Director he also headed the Visiting Artist Series at the Conservatory for which he conducted big band performances featuring artists such as Kenny Garrett, Joe Henderson, Ahmad Jamal, and Joshua Redman. While teaching at the Conservatory, VanMatre received the Ernest N. Glover Outstanding Teacher Award and was also named Ohio Educator of the Year by the National Association of Jazz Educators.
VanMatre has performed as a classical saxophonist with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, Middletown Symphony, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and on the Linton Chamber Music Series. He also served as an on-air host and interviewer for Jazz - Live From the Hyatt, a nationally syndicated radio series on WGUC-FM.
VanMatre has taught and lectured on performances for the World Saxophone Congress, the North American Saxophone Alliance, and the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Clinics. He served as Executive Board Member for the North American Saxophone Alliance where he was also a Jazz Coordinator. He has also written for the Saxophone Journal.
Select discography
Albums / CDs
| Year | Album | Credits / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Lines Above | Producer and Composer. CD recording by the Rick VanMatre Quintet. |
| 2011 | Serenade in Blue | Producer, Music Director, and Conductor. Performance by the CCM Jazz Ensemble and CCM Jazz Chamber Ensemble. |
| 2008 | Treadin' With Treadwell | Producer, Music Director, and Conductor. Performance by the CCM Jazz Ensemble and CCM Jazz Combo. |
| 2004 | All The Right Angles | Saxophonist and producer on album by the CCM Faculty Jazztet. |
| 1998 | Lady Bird | Producer, Music Director, and Conductor. Performance by the CCM Jazz Ensemble and CCM Jazz Combo. |
| 1994 | Carnival of Life | Producer, Music Director, and Conductor. Performance by the CCM Jazz Ensemble and Two O'Clock Jazz Combo. Two O'Clock Combo directed by Pat Harbison. |
| 1992 | The Cincinnati Seven Jazz Septet | Saxophonist and Producer. Also released as In A Whirl. |
Featured soloist
- 2011, Tenor saxophone soloist on album Melodious Monk (Kim Pensyl / Phil DeGreg Ensemble).
- 2010, Soprano saxophone and Thai wood flute solos on album On the Horizon (Kim Pensyl Ensemble).
- 2007, Tenor saxophone and co-composer on album Sound Collaborations (Consortium for Computer Music Series, Mara Helmuth Composer).
- 2004, Alto saxophone and flute soloist on album Salutaris Plates (Marc Fields).
- 2003, Tenor saxophone and clarinet soloist on album Got Swing! (The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and Erich Kunzel)
- 1995, Saxophonist on album Reactivation (PsychoAcoustic Orchestra)
- 1994, Saxophonist on album Supreme Thing (PsychoAcoustic Orchestra)
DVD and video performances
- 2005, Tenor and soprano saxophone and clarinet soloist in The Tuner, A Musical Prophecy in Seven Scenes DVD by Frank Proto Ensemble.
- 2003, Tenor saxophone and clarinet soloist on The Profanation of Hubert J. Fort, An Allegory in Four Scenes DVD with the Frank Proto Ensemble.
- "Treadin With Treadwell Credits". All Music. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- Breen, Mike (8 November 2006). "On The Brink Of The CEAs". Cincinnati City Beat. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- "The CCM Faculty Jazztet – All The Right Angles Lyrics". The Lyric Archive. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- ^ "AllMusic Credits – Rick Van Matre". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- Simmons, Greg (10 September 2011). "Kim Pensyl & Phil DeGreg: Melodious Monk CD Review". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- Latessa, Stephen (13 January 2005). "Marc Fields: Salutaris Plates (2004)". All About Jazz. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- Gelfand, Janelle (23 February 2003). "Pops Has Got It With Swing". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- Reactivation (Media notes). Psycho Acoustic Orchestra/Patrick Kelly. 1995.
- Supreme Thing (Media notes). Psycho Acoustic Orchestra. 1994.
- "The Tuner". Liben Music Publishers. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- Moore, D (1 March 2004). "Proto: The Profanation of Hubert J Fort". American Record Guide. High Beam Business. Retrieved 2 August 2013.