Matteo Horvat ’25 has DJed multiple dances such as Bassment Dance, Abbot Ball, and the Halloween Dance.
For Matteo Horvat ’25, music in all different forms has remained a passion throughout his life. Horvat began playing the cello at age four, as his parents emphasized the importance of musical participation for him and his brother. Although his relationship with the cello once felt like a burden, he has always been passionate about music and it continues to shape various aspects of his life. As Horvat has grown older, how he engages with music has drastically transformed.
“Early on I didn’t like [playing] music. On the one hand, practicing cello was such a burden, but on the other hand, I’ve always loved listening to music, and recently I’ve been DJing. So throughout my whole life, there’s been a pretty equal balance where I despised practicing, but I still loved music,” said Horvat.
Horvat continued to explain how, as he has grown older, his understanding of music evolved and he has learned to appreciate both classical music as well as more modern genres.
“[When I was younger] I was still listening to a lot of modern music, like rap and dance music, just a lot of different genres. Now it’s evolved where I can really appreciate all different parts of music. I enjoy practicing — a little bit more — on cello, and I can really appreciate all these different aspects of music,” said Horvat.
Music plays an integral role in Horvat’s Andover career, shaping not only his personal journey but also leaving an impact on campus culture. He is currently a co-head of WPAA, which has historically been Andover’s radio program. The traditional radio format has slightly shifted and WPAA has become a vibrant music studio. Additionally, Horvat is also well-known for his exciting sets as a DJ, and his ability to bring the community together to simply have a good time. At Andover, he has DJed for several events, including the Bassment dance, Abbot, and the Halloween Dance.
“The Bassment this year was super exciting. Having all the tables in the middle and trying to make a boiler-style dance was really fun, and it was really fun to work with Max [Dabbous ’24], the other DJ. We had a really good feeling between us, we worked on going back to back, and there was great energy in the room. I’m definitely super proud of us,” said Horvat.
Horvat’s commitment to sharing music resonates with everyone around him. Fellow Co-Head of WPAA, Josh Espinoza ’25, finds inspiration in Matteo’s technical skills as an example of the innumerable student talent on campus.
“Matteo is a good DJ. He makes the student events exciting, because sometimes we need to showcase student talent, and he does that really well at different events,” said Espinoza.
Being at Andover has allowed Horvat to continue spreading his wings when it comes to music, but his relationship with music will grow far beyond high school. Horvat would like to continue cultivating his talents and potentially share them on a bigger scale.
“It would definitely be cool to work in the music industry. I’m not entirely sure what I would do, but it would be really cool to work in that world, maybe on the production or music label side of things. In college, I definitely want to keep DJing, so that’s my plan for the future,” said Horvat.
