Dr. Matthew Shipes

Dr. Matthew Shipes is the Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at The University of Georgia and tubist with the Georgia Brass Quintet. A dedicated advocate of tuba and euphonium performance and pedagogy, Matt works in several roles with the International Tuba Euphonium Association (ITEA). He both writes and edits articles as an associate editor of the ITEA Quarterly Journal “Experts’ Excerpts” column, and also serves as Membership Marketer, communicating with an international audience of enthusiasts, students and professionals.

In 2020 Matt created the first-ever international euphonium mock-band e-competition, Stars and Shipes, engaging over 50 participants from several countries around the world and featuring a judging panel of top euphonium performers from the premier military bands in Washington D.C.

While finishing coursework for his doctorate degree at UGA, Matt won an audition and accepted the job to perform with the The United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C as a euphoniumist in the Ceremonial Brass, a position he held until 2016. While in the band, he had many opportunities to perform for former President Obama, several foreign leaders, and for hundreds of ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery.

Matt has performed recitals and given masterclasses across the country, including a featured solo recital at the 2019 United States Army Band’s Tuba and Euphonium Workshop. He was also an invited speaker at the 2019 International Tuba and Euphonium Conference (ITEC) at the University of Iowa, and presented his class, “A Guide to Military Band Auditions,” which he has presented at several regional tuba and euphonium conferences as well. He also performed with the American Tuba Quartet, of which he is a founding member, at the 2016 ITEC at the University of Tennessee, and has performed solo recitals at numerous regional conferences.

In addition to his studies at UGA, Matt earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baylor University, and a Master of Music degree in Euphonium Performance from the University of Arkansas. His primary teachers are David Graves, Benjamin Pierce, and David Zerkel, and also studied trombone extensively with Brent Phillips, Gerald Sloan, and Joshua Bynum.

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Studio alumni have earned positions in symphony orchestras throughout the nation, and are currently performing in most of the nation's premier military bands. Members of the studio are regularly successful in prominent national and international competitions, such as the Leonard Falcone Festival, the International Tuba Euphonium Conference Competitions, Music Teacher's National Association Brass Competitions, the International Women's Brass Conference Competitions, and others!