Indianapolis-based musician Matt Pivec maintains an active, multifaceted career as a performer, educator, and clinician. As a saxophonist, Matt is currently a member of the Steve Allee Big Band and the Sean Imboden Large Ensemble. He has also worked with Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Ana Gasteyer, Bob Brookmeyer, Maria Schneider, Melvin Rhyne, the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Pops Orchestra, and the national touring companies of Hairspray, 42nd Street, and The Producers. As a band leader and soloist, Matt has performed at jazz festivals and venues throughout the United States. He has three albums to his credit, Live at Snider Hall, Psalm Songs, and Time and Direction.
Currently, Matt is the Director of Jazz Studies at Butler University where leads the Jazz Ensemble and teaches courses in the jazz studies curriculum. Since his arrival in 2008, Butler ensembles have performed with world-renowned guest artists such as Cécile McLorin-Salvant, Sullivan Fortner, Kenny Barron, John Clayton, Benny Golson, Stefon Harris, Maria Schneider, Kurt Elling, Christian McBride, Bobby Sanabria, Donny McCaslin, Fred Sturm, Melvin Rhyne, Steve Allee, Ted Poor and the Wee Trio. Under his direction in 2020 and 2025, the Butler University Jazz Ensemble won the Downbeat Student Music Awards Undergraduate Large Ensemble Category. The Butler University Jazz Ensemble has also performed at several prestigious conferences, including the Midwest Clinic in 2023 and the Western International Band Clinic in 2024.
Matt received the Doctor of Musical Arts in Saxophone Performance and Literature and Master of Music in Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. While at Eastman, Matt studied with Ramon Ricker. He performed with the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the Eastman Graduate Saxophone Quartet, and served as lead alto saxophone of the Eastman Jazz Ensemble. Matt received the Bachelor of Music Education with honors from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Matt has presented educational clinics and research at the Jazz Education Network Conference, the International Association for Jazz Education Conference, the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, the Hong Kong Institute of Education, and the Indiana Music Educators Association Conference. His publications have been featured in Teaching Music, Inform, and Jazzed magazines. He is also a past president of the Indiana Jazz Education Association.
Matt is a member of the national music honor society, Pi Kappa Lambda, and in 2013, he received the Mortar Board, Excellence in Teaching Award from the Jordan College of the Arts. In 2020, Matt received the Outstanding Collegiate Music Educator award from the Indiana Music Education Association. In 2025, he was named a “Faculty All-Star” by the Jordan College of the Arts and Butler University Provost’s office. In February 2009, Matt founded the Butler Youth Jazz Program and Butler Summer Jazz Camp. From these programs, students have progressed to study at some of the top music conservatories and colleges in the United States.