Matt Hardman is Director of Communications, Marketing and Public Relations for the College of
Music. His responsibilities include College of Music institutional reputation, recruitment
marketing, audience development and development communication. He leads a team of
salaried and hourly professionals, graduate assistants and an external creative firm.
Prior to joining UNT, he served as Institutional Giving Manager for Texas Ballet Theater.
He annually wrote more than 100 foundation grants and corporate proposals and was
responsible for raising nearly 20% of the organization operating budget. He penned
the winning proposal to fund choreographer Carl Coomer's and TBT's new production
of "Dracula." Before his time at TBT, Matt served as the Director of Communication
and Administration at Ballet Lubbock, and as a public relations professional for a
number of public/private corporations and non-profits in Texas and West Virginia.
Matt is a member of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Marketing Committee
for the next quadrennial Competition to be held 2029. The group of five will lend
its skills to this globally respected performing arts event and to the extraordinary
marketing team at The Cliburn.
His successes with the College of Music include:
- Establishing relationships and contracting with external creative marketing firms
producing four major and two event specific video productions highlighting the UNT
College of Music;
- With Hoegger Communications, produced the first ever College of Music commercials. The five varying length shorts
have been placed digitally and on streaming services throughout Texas and in targeted
geographic areas of the United States. The digital campaign advertisements have been
viewed more than 6.3 million times;
- Receiving eight awards for the seven minute promotional video;
- Lone Star EMMY® Award.
- Two National Gold Winner Telly Awards.
- Recruitment - Online
- General Educational Institution - Online
- Five ADDY Awards from the American Advertising Federation presentations in Fort Worth, Texas and Oklahoma City.
- Gold – Single Webisode; Gold– Art Direction
- Silver– Internet Commercial; Silver– Video Editing; Silver– Cinematography
- See the video at Join the Journey.
Matt holds an undergraduate degree with specialization in public relations from Stephen
F. Austin State University and a master of arts degree with emphasis in arts administration,
communication and business from Texas Tech University. Musically, he was a two-time
member of the Texas All-State Choir and pursued music as a voice student in his early
undergraduate years at what is now West Texas A&M studying choral conducting and baton
technique with René Clausen. He then transferred to Stephen F. Austin State University
to study voice with the late David W. Jones before later focusing on communications,
public relations and marketing. He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity.
Fun fact: Matt was twice an invited guest to the White House during the Clinton administration.