Meet Matthew Maslanka
Matthew has the music of David Maslanka in his heart, mind, and spirit. Combined with wide-ranging professional experience in coaching, performance, and music preparation, he is uniquely equipped to help you understand and present David’s music at its highest level.
Paul W. Popiel
Director of Bands, University of Kansas
“Having lived and worked closely with his father and his music for his entire life, Matthew is now the foremost authority on David and his music.
“Matthew gave compelling presentations about his completion of Symphony No. 10 to our graduate conducting seminar and our Composers Guild. Both presentations were highly insightful, informative, and profound. Matthew is a tremendously effective and engaging public speaker.
“His knowledge of David’s music and his working methods, combined with his own professional music experience made for efficient rehearsals that dramatically improved the KU Wind Ensemble’s performance, as well as their musical experience.
“Matthew was a delightful guest, a consummate professional, and a pleasure to work with.”
Jasmine Britt
Artistic Director, Metropolitan Music Community, Inc., New York City
“Matthew should be lauded for his ability to work with younger ensembles and conductors. I brought him in for a residency with the Kings County Concert Band for their performance of Illumination. Kings County Concert Band is an ensemble specifically to reinduce musicians back into wind bands after a musical lapse and for experienced musicians to perform on secondary instruments. While having him as a clinician there, I was equally impressed with both his effectiveness as a pedagogue in addition to his effectiveness as an artistic guide. Many clinicians can offer the musical “why”, the “what” or the “how”; some can even offer two out of the three but Matthew can offer you all three. Get him working with your ensembles–the experience is more than worth it!”
Scott Hagen
Director of Bands, University of Utah
“Matthew’s help with rehearsals was fantastic and the students and myself thoroughly enjoyed our experience with him. His knowledge and experiences with his father’s music are apparent in his rehearsal strategies. He knows the Maslanka music and he himself is on his way to becoming a fine composer. Please do not hesitate to invite Matthew to your schools as he will be a great benefit in helping to prepare for your performance of Symphony #10 or any other works from Maslanka Press. ”
Travis W. Kimber
Director of Bands, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. High School, Lithonia, GA
“His acumen as a clinician was evident from the first moment he stood in front of our group. He brought a high level of professionalism and a personal touch that cannot be overstated. Even while in front of a group of over 50 musicians Mr. Maslanka made everyone in the room feel as if he was working exclusively for them. His insight was musically awakening yet thoughtful and tangible for our students. For me personally as a conductor he brought a perspective to the score that has made my job easier bringing meaning to his father’s work. I was most impressed with the time he took to speak with and work with each student that approached him during breaks and before the concert performance. His gracious words of encouragement and uplift have left a lasting impact on me, our students and our entire band community.”
Phillip Clements
Director of Bands, Texas A&M University – Commerce
“Matthew Maslanka brings a wonderful collaborative effort to the process of interpreting his father’s music. He is a tremendous musician who is able to help the ensemble understand the true meaning behind David Maslanka’s works while bringing his own perspective and musical ideas to the process as well. I know he will continue to be a wonderful source for conductors and ensembles who perform this great music.”
About Matthew
Matthew Maslanka, David’s son, believes in his father’s music. From his earliest memories of dancing to David composing the Saxophone Sonata to preparing parts for Symphony No. 5 to accompanying him to Beijing, Matthew has been immersed in his father’s music and philosophy for his entire life.
Matthew is an accomplished professional musician. His euphonium performance degrees from Michigan State University and Indiana University now see him performing on euphonium and trombone in New York City on Broadway and in the Greenwich Village Orchestra. As a copyist, he’s worked in musical theater (Far From Heaven, Chess), video games (Destiny 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic), and film (Incredibles 2, Wreck-It Ralph 2), while engraving to world standard for Carl Fischer (NY) and Hans Sikorski (Hamburg).
He has run Maslanka Press since 2012, creating elegant new editions of his father’s music and making them available for sale in accessible formats. In 2017, following David’s passing, he started the David Maslanka Foundation with his brother Stephen and sister Kathryn to preserve his father’s legacy.
As part of the Maslanka Foundation’s mission, Matthew has taken up where his father left off: visiting schools and performers to work with ensembles on David’s music. Matthew brings his personal and professional experience together to offer unique insight into these works and enabling a focused, connected performance.