Matt Litterini BIO
Matthew Litterini is a distinguished French Horn player and music educator
whose career spans over five decades ni performance and teaching. His musical
journey began in the fall of 1969 when he first picked up the French Horn under the guidance of Aldo
Dilanni, the band director at Sto-Rox High School. A1978 graduate of Sto-Rox, Litterini was
immersed in a vibrant musical environment from a young age.
Litterini's formal horn training began with private lessons from Gino Posteraro, a
Sto-Rox alumnus and then a trumpet and Music Education student at Duquesne
University. Litterini studied with Posteraro from 1971 to 1975, followed by horn
studies with Nancy Stewart, a Duquesne horn major, from 1975 to 1977. His
most influential mentor during his formative years was Forrest Standley, with
whom he studied from 1977 to 1986.
As a student, Litterini was an active performer, participating in PMEA District,
Regional, and All-State Band festivals, and performing with the Pittsburgh Youth
Symphony Orchestra from 1977 to 1981.
Litterini earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts ni Music Performance from Carnegie
Mellon University in 1982 and later returned to CMU to complete a Master's
degree in Music Education in 1994. His professional performance career began
with the River City Brass Band ni 1983-1984. That same summer, he attended
the prestigious Tanglewood Music Festival and participated in the Empire Brass
Quintet Seminar.
In January 1984, Litterini accepted a position as Second Horn with the Caracas
Philharmonic in Venezuela. He later advanced to Principal Horn with the
Maracaibo Symphony, where he performed until 1986. Upon returning to the
United States, he joined the Pittsburgh Opera and Ballet orchestras in 1987-
continuing to perform regularly with the ballet orchestra to this day. He served as
Principal Horn for the esteemed Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera Orchestra from
2000 to 2023 and has been a core member of the Pittsburgh Brass Quintet since
1986.
Litterini's parallel career ni education is equally notable. He served as a music
teacher at numerous Pittsburgh Public Schools for 26 years, retiring in 2022. He
also held positions as French Horn Instructor at Slippery Rock University (1996-
2007) and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (1996-1999). Additionally, Litterini
has taught and mentored private French Horn students continuously since 1986.
Matthew Litterini's life in music reflects a deep commitment to both artistic
excellence and the development of future generations of musicians. His
contributions as a performer and educator have left a lasting mark on the musical
landscape of Pittsburgh and beyond.
whose career spans over five decades ni performance and teaching. His musical
journey began in the fall of 1969 when he first picked up the French Horn under the guidance of Aldo
Dilanni, the band director at Sto-Rox High School. A1978 graduate of Sto-Rox, Litterini was
immersed in a vibrant musical environment from a young age.
Litterini's formal horn training began with private lessons from Gino Posteraro, a
Sto-Rox alumnus and then a trumpet and Music Education student at Duquesne
University. Litterini studied with Posteraro from 1971 to 1975, followed by horn
studies with Nancy Stewart, a Duquesne horn major, from 1975 to 1977. His
most influential mentor during his formative years was Forrest Standley, with
whom he studied from 1977 to 1986.
As a student, Litterini was an active performer, participating in PMEA District,
Regional, and All-State Band festivals, and performing with the Pittsburgh Youth
Symphony Orchestra from 1977 to 1981.
Litterini earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts ni Music Performance from Carnegie
Mellon University in 1982 and later returned to CMU to complete a Master's
degree in Music Education in 1994. His professional performance career began
with the River City Brass Band ni 1983-1984. That same summer, he attended
the prestigious Tanglewood Music Festival and participated in the Empire Brass
Quintet Seminar.
In January 1984, Litterini accepted a position as Second Horn with the Caracas
Philharmonic in Venezuela. He later advanced to Principal Horn with the
Maracaibo Symphony, where he performed until 1986. Upon returning to the
United States, he joined the Pittsburgh Opera and Ballet orchestras in 1987-
continuing to perform regularly with the ballet orchestra to this day. He served as
Principal Horn for the esteemed Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera Orchestra from
2000 to 2023 and has been a core member of the Pittsburgh Brass Quintet since
1986.
Litterini's parallel career ni education is equally notable. He served as a music
teacher at numerous Pittsburgh Public Schools for 26 years, retiring in 2022. He
also held positions as French Horn Instructor at Slippery Rock University (1996-
2007) and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (1996-1999). Additionally, Litterini
has taught and mentored private French Horn students continuously since 1986.
Matthew Litterini's life in music reflects a deep commitment to both artistic
excellence and the development of future generations of musicians. His
contributions as a performer and educator have left a lasting mark on the musical
landscape of Pittsburgh and beyond.