Artists

Matti Hirvonen

Pianist

Pianist Matti Hirvonen was born in Sweden and lives in Stockholm. His career as an accompanist began at the invitation of the famous soprano Elisabeth Söderström, and he now performs Lieder regularly with Nina Stemme, Hillevi Martinpelto, Miah Persson, Camilla Nylund, Katarina Karnéus, Angelika Kirchschlager, Ann Hallenberg, Anna Larsson, Håkan Hagegård, Bo Skovhus, Peter Mattei, and Wolfgang Holzmair among many others.

A regular guest at European festivals including Edinburgh, Grafenegg, Aix-en Provence, and Schleswig-Holstein, Matti performs at major venues such as the Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, Wigmore Hall London, Philharmonie Köln, Palais des Beaux Arts Brussels, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Philharmonie Luxemburg, Oper Frankfurt, and Laieszhalle Hamburg, as well as further afield including Weill Recital Hall in New York and numerous venues across Japan.

Matti has held the position of Professor of Accompaniment at the London Royal College of Music, Stockholm Royal College of Music, The Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo and Rutgers University in the USA. He has given masterclasses in the art of Lieder for both pianists and singers at the Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg, Cleveland Institute of Music, the Oxford Lieder Festival, the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and the Royal Danish Conservatory of Music in Copenhagen.

As a testament to his outstanding achievements within Swedish music, in 2014 Matti was awarded the royal medal Litteris et Artibus by His Majesty Karl Gustav XVI.