Classical Sonoma

Matthew Isais Bowker is a multi-Instrumentalist, composer, and music educator based in Northern California. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education with a California teaching credential from Sonoma State University, where he studied saxophone with Andy Collinsworth and Steve Cardiasmenos. Currently, Matthew is one of two Instrumental Music Directors at Maria Carrillo High School and the Music Specialist at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, where he directs the Mariachi Ensembles.

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An award-winning performer, Matthew has received the John Philip Sousa Award and Special Commendations for Outstanding Musicianship from the Santa Cruz Jazz Festival. He has placed in numerous national and international competitions, including the King’s Peak Competition, Międzynarodowy Konkurs Muzyczny (International Competition), the Medici International Competition, and Sonoma State University’s Concerto Competition. He has also performed in masterclasses with Otis Murphy, Jonathan Yanik, David Henderson, and Ryszard Zoledziewski.

As a composer, Matthew has written music for symphony orchestra, solo saxophone, and chamber ensembles, with recognition from the Symphonia Caritas Composition Competition and the NAfME Student Composers Competition.

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In his work at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, Matthew directs a mariachi program serving over 120 students ages 8–21. The program is offered completely free of charge, providing access to high-quality music education for students who might not otherwise have the opportunity. During his tenure, he founded Northern California’s first all-female mariachi ensemble and led his top group to a historic third-place finish at the California State Fair—the first mariachi ensemble from Sonoma County to ever place. His ensembles have performed with Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, Jesse & Joy, and at events for the Mexican Consulate of San Francisco.