Matt Cantelon earned his PhD at The Ohio State University. He completed an MFA in theatre design from the University of Memphis, specializing in sound design and earned a graduate student performance award.

Cantelon holds a BA from Linfield College, majoring in theatre arts and political science and minoring in English literature. In 2009 Cantelon was the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region VII sound design winner for his design of Crave by Sarah Kane.