Dr. Matthew Halligan is the Music Director at Virginia Military Institute (VMI). He is the
Director of the Regimental Band, the Commanders Jazz Band, the Ceremonial Band,
the Pep Band, the Herald Trumpets, and the Institute Brass Quintet. Prior to teaching at
VMI, Dr. Halligan had taught full-time at Missouri Western State University and at the
U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. These roles build upon his prior service as a
mallet section leader and percussion arranger with “The Commandant’s Own” Marine
Drum & Bugle Corps, where he performed for multiple presidents and alongside the
New York Philharmonic. A versatile composer and arranger with published works, he
has an extensive background in the marching arts, having performed with, instructed,
and arranged music for numerous DCI, WGI, and collegiate programs throughout his
career. Dr. Halligan earned his Doctorate in Percussion Performance from George
Mason University.