Draft:Matti Hirvonen

Matti Hirvonen (March 24, 1958 ) is a Swedish pianist mostly known for his work as a piano collaborator.

Early life and education
Matti studied at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm with Greta Erikson and at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki with Liisa Pohjola. Further private studies followed in London with Peter Feuchtwanger (piano) and Geoffrey Parsons (Lied accompaniment) during which he developed a strong interest for musical interaction with singers as well as instrumentalists.

As a young man in the 1980s he was engaged to play for masterclasses given by Birgit Nilsson, Irmgard Seefried, Ileana Cotrubas, Nicolai Gedda, Elisabeth Söderström, Kim Borg, Gérard Souzay, Felicity Palmer, Catarina Ligendza, Berit Lindholm.

He has held professorial positions in collaborative piano at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm 2000-2012, Royal College of Music in London 2003-2009 (Professor of Vocal Repertoire) Rutgers University/Mason Gross School of the Arts in the U.S.A 2016-2017 and is currently Professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo since 2012.

Highly sought-after as a masterclass teacher, recent sessions have brought him to such places as:

Juilliard School New York, Northwestern University Chicago, Cleveland Institute of Music, Mozarteum Summer Academy Salzburg, Royal Danish Conservatory of Music, Oxford Song UK,, Udo Reimenamm International Masterclasses in Brussels.

Awards

 * 2014: received the medal Litteris et Artibus by Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

Career
He has collaborated with a wide range of singers and instrumentalists, among them Nina Stemme, Hillevi Martinpelto, Elisabeth Söderström, Camilla Nylund, Irene Theorin, Ann Hallenberg, Anna Larsson, Peter Mattei, Håkan Hagegård, Andreas Schmidt, Bo Skovhus, Wolfgang Holzmair, Truls Mörk, Leon Spierer, Karl Leister.

He has performed in many music centres around the world, including Wigmore Hall London, Weill recital hall NYC, Konzerthaus Wien, Musikverein Wien, Oper Frankfurt, Zürich Opera, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Bozar Brussels, Megaron Athens, Kölner Philharmonie, Philharmonie Luxembourg, Laieszhalle Hamburg, La Monnaie Opera Brussels, Finnish National Opera Helsinki, Norwegian Opera Oslo, Tokyo Opera City Hall, Minato Mirai Hall Yokohama, Hiroshima Gunka Gakuen Hall, Edinburgh Festival, Festival D'Aix-En-Provence, Usedomer Musikfestival, Oxford Lieder Festival

Personal life
Matt resides in Stockholm, Sweden and is a father of two daughters.