About Matthew Denman
Matthew Denman is the Director of Guitar Studies at Oklahoma City University, Director of Education for the Guitar Foundation of America, Director of the Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute, founder of the Oklahoma Guitar Orchestra, and former Director of Guitar at Classen School of Advanced Studies. Matthew is a student of Pepe Romero who has said, “What José Antonio Abreu is to El Sistema, Matt Denman is to the Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute.”
Recently, the Oklahoma City University Guitar Studio has won several national awards including first place at the GFA Symposiums, the GFA Ensemble Showcase, and the UT Brownsville guitar festival and competition. In just three years, six OCU guitar graduate students have secured higher education positions as professors of guitar. In the spring of 2014, the OCU guitar studio performed on stage with Ballet Oklahoma for the world premiere of the reinvented Carmen.
Awards and honors include New Mexico Guitar Festival Artist in Residence (2016), All Virginia Guitar Conductor and Clinician (2016) the GFA Augustine Award for excellence in guitar education (2013), Images of Excellence Award (2013, 2012, 2010, 2009), and Teacher of the Year (2010-2011 Classen SAS). In the summer of 2013 Matthew was featured on the cover of Soundboard magazine Vol 39 No. 2.
In 2015, Matthew conducted Brad Richter’s Once We Moved Like The Wind with Carlos Bonell (Royal College of Music), Brad Richter, and the OCU guitar ensemble. He hosted the 2015 Guitar Foundation of America convention held at Oklahoma City University. During the convention, Matthew premiered his guitar orchestra piece, Picture on a Train, which has become very popular with guitar programs across the nation.