Matthew Parunak is a professional music arranger, visual designer, and trombonist from Chapel Hill, NC. Currently, he serves as music director for Orquesta K’Che Salsa band, bass trombonist for the Durham Symphony Orchestra under Maestro William Curry, and assistant band director at Jordan High School in Durham, NC. Matthew also serves as adjunct faculty at Elon University in Music Education, as well as brass staff with the University of North Carolina Marching Tar Heels. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Tuba Performance in 2008 and his Master’s Degree in Arts and Teaching in 2009, both from UNC-Chapel Hill. From 2009-2012, Matthew was the Director of Bands at Forbush High School and Forbush Middle School, where his marching and concert bands received consistent Superior and Excellence ratings. As an active arranger and clinician, he has written more than 50 marching band shows for bands across the state of North Carolina, while consulting with many band programs across the state of North Carolina. Joanna Ross Hersey, former prinicpal tubist of the United States Coast Guard Band, commissioned Matthew to write an original theme and variations piece for solo tuba and wind ensemble. It was premiered in November of 2016 by the ECU Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Scott Carter.
