Matthew Evan Taylor

Matthew Evan Taylor
As an artist, composer/saxophonist Matthew Evan Taylor (December 3, 1980), is intrigued by four aspects of music; the growth of complex music from a simple idea, the social nature of the art form (especially, as it manifests in improvisation and the audience’s reaction), the evocation of color and atmosphere through sound, and the relationship of dance and music. He believes that today’s culture encourages a new kinetic, vibrant type of art, with unhinged rhythms and unbridled expression. It is Matthew’s goal to reflect this world and what is awe-inspiring about it through his music. Ultimately, he wishes to connect with the audience and expose the beauty that is all around.

Matthew has been involved in forward looking and exciting multidisciplinary collaborations. Currently, he, dancer/choreographer Priscilla Marrero, and visual/performance artist Ferrán Martín are blazing new trails as the new art ensemble [ce n’est pas nous] (not us). Their piece, the Emerald house, was recently premiered at Inkub8 and presented in concert in Paris, France as part of the Cinejazz International Film and Music festival. Other collaborations have included work with percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani, avant-garde composer and multi-instrumentalist Elliott Sharp, artist Pablo Cano, dancers Katherine Kramer and Joanne Barrett, clarinetist Gregory Oakes, the Imani Winds and The Cleveland Orchestra.

Matthew is also an active educator in the Miami-Dade area, teaching music theory and ear training at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, theory for grade schoolers (ages 9 to 16) at the Community Arts Program, and saxophone and clarinet at Barry University. He is currently studying composition with Dr. Dorothy Hindman at the University of Miami where he is a doctoral candidate.

Three Glorious Days
Three Glorious Days was inspired by the guillotine gesture in “Marche au supplice” from Symphonie fantastique by Hector Berlioz. The piece is named after the period of upheaval in France also known as the July Revolution. Incidentally, this event took place the same year that Berlioz completed fantastique, 1830. This particular “revolution” removed one royal family in favor of another, so not greatly changing the status quo–there would be another revolution in 1848. I wrote this piece during the 2012 presidential election, which had interesting parallels with the Three Glorious Days: President Obama’s legitimacy was questioned and there was a growing dissatisfaction with the distribution of wealth. In the end, like the July Revolution, there was no real, great upheaval, just a return to an uneasy truce…