Music Alumnus Matt Horanzy Wins First Place Composition Prize

Friday, November 30, 2018

USF College of The Arts alumnus Matt Horanzy is the first place winner of the Bill Conti Big Band Arranging and Composing Competition for his piece init 1 for full jazz orchestra.

With this award, Horanzy receives a cash prize. Additionally, his winning composition will be performed by the Kim Richmond Concert Jazz Orchestra in Los Angeles, California.

The Bill Conti Big Band Arranging and Composing Competition is organized by the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers. The competition is judged by recognized and award-winning arrangers and composers.

In April, Horanzy's init 1 won the Owen Prize from the University of South Florida.

In the coming nine months, Horanzy will also be taking part in the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop.

This renowned program allows up-and-coming jazz composers to meet for regular reading sessions with the New York Jazz Orchestra in New York City. The program includes mentorship from Grammy Award-winning composers Ted Nash and Andy Farber.

In late September, Horanzy won the NBA Young Composers Jazz Composition Contest for init 1. The piece will be performed by the United States Air Force Airmen of Note at The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago on December 20. 

Horanzy now lives in Washington DC as a jazz guitarist, composer, and educator. As a student at the College of The Arts, he studied with Distinguished University Professor of Jazz Studies Chuck Owen. Horanzy earned his master's degree in jazz composition in early 2018.

For more on Horanzy, including recordings of his compositions, visit his website.

See the University of South Florida Jazz Ensemble 1 perform Init 1 in this YouTube video.