Jaime Morales-Matos
Globe-trotting, trombone playing Jaime Morales-Matos can be found on the conductor's podium each concert. For over twenty years, he has brought new direction to the Symphony's artistic programming and performances. He describes his position here as "very special" due to several factors. "The musicians are here because they love music, not because it is a job. It is beautiful to work with people who love what they are doing. This community has an appreciation for the arts and supports the arts. At Gray Chapel, the audience is in constant contact with the musicians. We are all in the same place in the hall or in the building. That interaction is part of the fabric of this community." One of his goals is that the Symphony grows--financially and artistically--enough to add more concerts and expand the season.
As a conductor, Jaime has conducted throughout the United States, Europe, and Latin America, as well as in his native Puerto Rico. He conducted members of the New York Philharmonic at the prestigious Casals Festival in a concert broadcast on public television in 2003 and was selected in 2007 as one of the most promising young conductors by the American Symphony Orchestra League.
In addition to his conducting, Jaime has wide-ranging experience as a trombonist. He has performed in this country and elsewhere, including Europe and Latin America, and has premiered various pieces written for him. Jaime directs and plays trombone with Son del Caribe, a Cincinnati-based Latin music ensemble considered by many to be the top salsa band in Ohio.
Jaime is Associate Professor of Trombone at Miami University of Ohio. He is very active as a Master Class artist in the United States and Latin America, and has taught trombone extensively. He received his undergraduate training at Indiana University and holds a Master's degree from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.