LARRY MATYSIAK has been a music educator for the past 47 years. He earned a Bachelor of Music in 1976 and a Masters Degree in 1986 from the University of Houston. He was an assistant director at Dulles High School from 1977-1983. In 1983 he was appointed Head Director and Fine Arts Chair at Clements High School. During his tenure there, the band received 22 consecutive UIL Sweepstakes Awards and was selected as the 1994 TMEA 5A (now 6A) Honor Band. In 1995 they performed at the Mid-West Clinic in Chicago. That same year they were awarded the Sudler Flag of Honor by the Sousa Foundation. Mr. Matysiak was also named the Clements High School “Teacher of the Year” in 1995. The Clements Band was selected to the UIL State Marching Contest in 1998 and made four appearances there during his tenure. This culminated with the band being selected to UIL State Marching Finals in 2004.
Mr. Matysiak is a recipient of the TMEA Leadership Award, the Sudler Flag of Honor by the Sousa Foundation and the state UIL Denius Award for Outstanding UIL Sponsors. Mr. Matysiak was co-founder and co-conductor of the Clements Symphony Orchestra. They performed at the Mid-West Clinic and were selected as the TMEA Honor Symphony Orchestra in 2000.
From 2006 to 2014 Mr. Matysiak served as the Director of Fine Arts for the Cypress Fairbanks ISD. During his time in the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, staffing increased each year and many of the district’s performing groups received state and national honors. In addition, the district received an award from NAMM as an outstanding district for fine arts.
In 2010 he was recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award from the Moores School of Music at The University of Houston. In 2016, he co-founded the Sugar Land Winds, a community wind ensemble comprised of music educators and other professionals. In 2018 he was inducted to the Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame.