Biography
Matias Ortiz de Zarate is a Chilean pianist living in London. He holds a Licentiate diploma in piano performance from Trinity College London and is a certified teacher from The Piano Teachers’ Course UK.
Matias has performed extensively in music venues in and around London, such as St Bride’s Church, the 1901 Arts Club, the Red Hedgehog, Peregrine’s Pianos, St Mary's Church, Twickenham, St Mark’s Church, St Cyprians Clarence Gate, Essex Church (Kensington Unitarians), and the Guildford Institute. He actively participates in music festivals and has performed at the Croydon Performing Arts Festival, Stratford & East London Music Festival, and the Coulsdon and Purley Festival.
He began his studies with Elba Rojas, with whom he studied for 15 years in Santiago, Chile. In London, he continued his training with Giacomo Tora. Over the years, he has participated in masterclasses with Stephen Savage, Charles Owen, and Rolf Hind.
Matias cultivated his love for the piano and music throughout an academic career in economics, which he put to closure in 2022 to dedicate fully to his piano studies, performing and teaching. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Southampton and a BSc and MSc in economics from the University of Chile.
Teaching Philosophy
I teach classical piano to anyone interested in learning to play the instrument or to those wanting to continue developing their pianistic skills and expanding their repertoire of loved musical pieces. I can teach complete beginners up to experienced intermediate and advanced level students (Grade 8 standard). Additionally, I can prepare students for ABRSM-TRINITY exams. I have plenty of experience teaching pupils from children to adults.
Music-making is an activity that engages the physical, intellectual and emotional dimensions of human beings. Therefore, any education in music must contribute to the development of these in the student, to endow him or her with the necessary means to express and communicate the different characters contained in music and its effects.
In my piano lessons, I aim to make the pupil experience music by listening and playing, establishing musical knowledge and understanding in theory and practice while developing the necessary technical and pianistic skills and effective practising strategies. All this is done under a positive, professional atmosphere with good teaching facilitation.
All lessons are planned and tailored to suit the desires, needs, and goals of the pupil. Whether you want to learn how to play the piano (or you want this for your child), to prepare for a recital, an exam or a competition, or to experience the pleasure of bringing to life in sound your favourite piano pieces, I'll be happy to listen, teach what I know and help towards achieving it. It will be my task to offer the student an enjoyable, appropriate and realistic set of repertoire and exercises to stimulate and hone the student's musical and pianistic progress and development.
Licentiate of Trinity College London in Piano Performance (LTCL)
Certified teacher from The Piano Teachers’ Course UK (Cert PTC UK)
Member of the Independent Society of Musicians
Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate is shown in the first lesson
DOB 1987
Based in Southwark, London