Matt McCarthy Memorial Scholarship

     Central Florida schools have always been rich with talent and skill within the performing arts, and our schools boast some of the finest student musicians in the country.  Every year, motivated students graduate high school, and set forth on their path to careers in many things, including the performing arts.  

     In 2021, the arts community unfortunately lost Matt MCarthy, who was a mainstay in Orlando since graduating from Cypress Creek High School in Orlando, Florida. Matt Attended the University of Central Florida for his Bachelors in Music, and University of South Florida for his Masters degree in Music Composition.  He was frequent in many shows at Walt Disney World, a regular touring member of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and also appeared in countless other groups throughout Florida, the United States, and abroad. 

     Matt left us with the legacy of hundreds of compositions and arrangements for various ensembles - including for many of his own groups such as Robot Man, and other projects - and a community that adored him on and off the stage.  This is why the Matt McCarthy Memorial Scholarship was created. 

     Founded in 2022 by the Director of Jazz Studies at Valencia College - Frank Wosar - the Matt McCarthy Memorial Scholarship is a competitive scholarship intended for students entering the music performance and/or composition fields.  It is the wish of all of us, that Matt's memory will continue to inspire the artists of the present day, and for generations to come.