About Matthew
Matthew offers personalized cello instruction online and in students’ homes throughout Vancouver and UBC. With a Master of Music from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Music from UBC, he has studied with distinguished mentors and participated in prestigious programs like Domaine Forget and Orford Arts Centre. He specializes in RCM preparation and emphasizes healthy, individualized technique for learners aged six through adult.
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I believe every student has different needs as well as different strengths and weaknesses. I try to tailor my teaching to best serve each student. I believe in establishing a strong technical foundation so that students can play the pieces that they are interested in without feeling inhibited. I believe cello playing is a lot more fun when one is not dealing with pain or feeling discomfort so I try to prioritize healthy playing at the beginning. When the student feels good with the physical motions of the cello it is also much easier to teach the musical aspects of cello playing. I often teach the Royal Conservatory curriculum but I am open to any repertoire ideas that the student may have.
Name: Matthew (Full name will be provided upon registration)
Age: 30's
Gender: male
I have a Master of Music degree from the University of Calgary where I studied with John Kadz and Johanne Perron. John Kadz became a member of the Houston Symphony at age 17 and later became Principal Cellist of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2017 he was made a Fellow at the Royal Conservatory of Music for his contributions to the Canadian music scene. Johanne Perron is an active chamber musician and solo performer. She was a student of Aldo Parisot at Yale and and also studied with Leonard Rose at the Julliard School. She previously taught at the University of Montreal before coming to Calgary. I also studied with Professor Eric Wilson at the University of British Columbia during my Bachelor of Music Degree. Eric Wilson was a founding member of the Emerson String Quartet which won Walter W. Naumberg competition Prize for Chamber Ensemble . He was a student of Leonard Rose with whom he studied at the Julliard School in New York.
During my studies I received the following scholarships and awards: Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship, University of Calgary Master’s Scholarship, Queen Elizabeth II (Master’s) Scholarship, Pachkowski Family Bursary, Stephanson Cooke Award, Harry and Marjorie Anne Slim Memorial Scholarship in Music, Leslie J. Field Memorial Scholarship, Mildred Johnson Scholarship in Music.
While in Calgary I also spent four years in the Advanced Performance Program at Mount Royal University Conservatory. I have attended summer sessions at Domaine Forget and the Orford Arts Centre in Québec where I had the privilege to learn from artists such as Lynn Harrell and Raphael Wallfisch. I have played in lessons and masterclasses with artists such as Clive Greensmith, Colin Carr, Melissa Kraut, Eric Kim, Rachel Mercer and Desmond Hoebig.
English
Rates and Studio Policies
Registration Fee: $25.00 (One-time lifetime registration fee may be used by all family members)
Rates for instruction:
30 minute private lesson: $39.00
45 minute private lesson: $49.00
60 minute private lesson: $59.00
Travel charge: additional $15.00 per visit (for lessons in a client's home as opposed to my studio)
1. Cancellation Policy
Lessons not cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice are billable to the client and payable to the teacher. This does not of course apply to travel fees unless the notice is effectively given at the door and the teacher has travelled to the location.
2. Cessation (quitting) Policy
A client must provide a 2 lesson notice period to stop lessons. So a weekly student needs to give 2 weeks of notice, a biweekly student works out to 3 weeks notice and a twice weekly student works out to a week of notice.
3. Illness Policy
Lessons cancelled due to illness or extraordinary circumstances with less than 24 hours notice remain billable to the client and payable to the teacher.
BAH teachers are encouraged to offer a make-up lesson at a future date in the interest of client relations and general goodwill. This only makes sense as teaching a student with the flu for example, will ruin the rest of your week's employment.
No more than 2 lessons may be made up due to illness within a 60 day period.
4. Rescheduling Policy
Any lesson can be cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice.
Summer Vacation and Extended Absence Policy
Clients may schedule longer absences for trips etc. 24 hours notice is required.
It is normal and typical for students and about 20% of our teachers to schedule a break in the summer. We do not enforce a notice period (see cessation of lessons) at the end of a long summer break.
5. Evaluation Period
There are no free trial lessons with Beethoven at Home but we do offer a 2 lesson evaluation period where it is easy to try out a teacher. There are no free lessons during the evaluation period and clients may choose to discontinue the lessons at any time by providing the required 24 hours notice. After the student's 3rd lesson the required 2 lesson notice period will apply (see cessation of lessons above).
Lessons in your home
Matthew is available to teach in your home if you are located in the following areas
Online lessons
Matthew can provide online instruction. While other platforms are possible BAH strongly recommends the use of the Zoom video conferencing platform as it is optimized for music lessons and audio quality.