Piano teacher
Accompanist
Matthew Ardern has recently moved to Armidale to work at NECOM and will be available as a piano teacher and collaborative pianist.
From Terrigal, he was recently a teacher and accompanist at the Central Coast Conservatorium of Music.
He also taught in several schools with the Coast Academy of Music and maintained a private studio.
Matthew is an active performer and completed a Master of Music (Piano Performance) in 2024, under the tutelage of Ludmila Beliaviskia at Excelsia University College.
He earned a Distinction in his final Master’s recital, in which he performed Rachmaninoff’s 3rd Piano Concerto.
In 2024, Matthew performed the first movement of Chopin’s First Piano Concerto with the Wollongong Symphony Orchestra.
He also performed the third movement of Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto with the Symphony Central Coast in 2023.
In 2019, he performed as an orchestral pianist for the Strathfield Symphony’s performance of Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony, also covering the soloist’s part during the orchestra’s initial rehearsals.
A dedicated chorister, Matthew has been a member of the St Andrew’s Cathedral Choir in Sydney since 2009.
He has also performed with Opera Australia (as a member of the Children’s Chorus) and as a chorus member in several independent operatic productions.
He eagerly anticipates participating in Armidale’s diverse choral activities.
Throughout his academic journey, Matthew has received numerous accolades at the Sydney Eisteddfod across various categories, including piano polyphony, Chopin, concerto, and Russian.
Currently, he is preparing to participate in national piano competitions.
Matthew studied Chemistry and Geology at Macquarie University.
However, he realised his passion lay elsewhere and engaged in piano studies at Excelsia College in 2019, recognising that his long-held enjoyment of playing the instrument might also be the pathway to his future.
He is delighted to be joining NECOM and is enthusiastic about collaborating with students and staff.
