Gary Mattin, double bass principal, is in his eighth season with KSO. A retired general/choral music teacher, Gary has always been involved with instrumental music as a tuba player in his younger years, and as a pianist his whole life long. He continued playing tuba and double bass throughout high school and college, however his education emphasis was vocal music. He still works with vocal musicians as director of choirs at Federated Church in Sycamore. He also taught beginning orchestra to 4th and 5th graders while teaching in the Sycamore Schools.

Gary is much in demand as an accompanist, playing for choral festivals and concerts, and musical theatre productions with Stage Coach Players, Children's Community Theatre, and Kishwaukee Community College. His latest venture is teaching a course in music appreciation at KCC.

Gary loves to cook (and eat!), garden, and travel. He enjoys a variety of composers, and is always mesmerized when he hears Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings.