Matthew Caine is Director of Music at Lyttleton Street United Methodist Church, Camden, SC, where he oversees a comprehensive music program consisting of eight choral and handbell ensembles. He has previously served on the faculties of Claflin University and Allen University and as conductor or assistant conductor of community, symphonic, and professional choruses. Matthew has given presentations at National and Divisional Conferences of the American Choral Directors’ Association. His research on Bulgarian choral music has been published in the Choral Journal, and he has edited over 30 Bulgarian choral works for performance by English-speaking choruses. In addition to conducting major choral-orchestral works both in the United States and abroad, Matthew has also conducted the United States premier of many Bulgarian choral works with Ensemble Mir, a professional chamber chorus he established in 2010.

Matthew holds the Bachelor of Music in Church Music from Birmingham-Southern College, the Master of Music Education in Instrumental Music from Samford University, the Master of Music in Choral Conducting and Vocal Performance from the University of South Florida, and the Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of South Carolina.

Matthew Ganong, Accompanist

Pianist Matthew Ganong grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, and began studying the piano at the age of seven. His first teacher was John Ervin, and then he studied with Professor John Williams of the University of South Carolina from middle school through the end of high school. Mr. Ganong then attended the Peabody Conservatory where he received a Bachelor's degree in piano performance. There he studied piano with Boris Slutsky and Ellen Mack, and harpsichord with Webb Wiggins. He has also studied the pipe organ, under the guidance of Frances Webb.

He has worked since college as a professional musician in the cities of Baltimore, Chicago, and Columbia, and along the way has performed and collaborated with many fine artists and ensembles from around the world, and traveled to most of the states in the U.S., as well as to Canada, Mexico, Spain, Germany, Austria, and Japan. He has been a member of the Classical Band with violinist Daniel Heifetz, and in Chicago was a member of the chamber music society Anaphora, the pianist for Intimate Opera Chicago, Da Corneto Opera, and was the harpsichordist and pianist for the Advent Chamber Orchestra.

Mr. Ganong has been an avid composer for most of his life, and greatly enjoys composing, improvising, and playing in various styles from the Renaissance to the present day.