Matthew Libera is from Canandaigua, NY, and holds a Master's degree in clarinet performance from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he studied with Dr. Kelly Burke. He completed his dual bachelor's degree in Music Education and Clarinet Performance at Ithaca College, studying clarinet with Michael Galván and Richard Faria. During his studies, Libera has taken an active interest in electronic/electroacoustic music, web design, and reed-making.

Libera has performed professionally with several symphonies in the Greensboro, NC area. He has acted as a substitute for both the principal and assistant principal clarinet positions in the Western Piedmont Symphony Orchestra, and has also been called upon to play bass clarinet and e-flat clarinet. Other engagements have included playing bass clarinet on Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet with the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra, and appearances with the Hickory Choral Society.

Aside from music, Matthew also holds an interest in computers. During his Masters degree, he taught the UNCG Technology for Musicians sequence as part of his assistantship, and currently carries a small clientele in his web design business. Some of his web projects include websites for UNCG colleagues and a number of personal/professional websites - this site, his reed-making website, and his wife's website (currently under construction). Before returning to school, he served as the Web Content Manager for NOTION Music, Inc., where he played a large part in the launch of the company's new website.

Recently, as a project for his Electroacoustic Music class, Matthew wrote his first piece of music for clarinet and computer using Max/MSP. Entitled Balance, the piece utilizes the Nintendo® Wii Balance Board for interaction between the musician and the computer. The clarinet's sound is fed through microphones into the computer, which then alters and resynthesizes the sounds into other unique sounds and patterns. The parameters of these alterations are controlled in large part by the Wii Balance Board. A video of this piece can be found at Matthew's YouTube page. For more information, or to get a copy of the score and patch, please e-mail Matthew.

Matthew is currently the Director of Bands at Copper Canyon High School in Glendale, AZ, and is currently living in Goodyear, AZ. Matthew and his wife Rebecca enjoy spending their free time traveling to see family, cheering for the St. Louis Cardinals, and exploring chamber music for bassoon and clarinet.