Born in British Columbia, Canada, pianist Matthew Blackburn was a winner of the Lethbridge Symphony’s Young Artist Competition (Canada). He earned a Master of Music degree from the University of Calgary, where he studied under Charles Foreman and Marilyn Engle. He furthered his performance studies with Georgian pianist Guigla Katsarava at the École Normale de Musique de Paris, completing his training in 2017. His studies were generously supported by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and he was awarded an artist residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris.
Comfortable in a wide-ranging repertoire—from Bach and Beethoven to Hétu and Andronikou—Matthew Blackburn’s performances are consistently met with enthusiasm. His playing has been described as “breathtaking” and “exhilarating and glorious.” He has performed at numerous festivals, including the Mountainview International Festival (Calgary, Canada), the Tuckamore Chamber Music Festival (St. John’s, Canada), and the Académie Musicale Internationale “Barbara Krakauer” (Vaison-la-Romaine, France).
He has also appeared at Salle Cortot, Espace Georges-Bernanos, and the Salon Honnorat of the Cité Internationale (Paris, France), among others. As a soloist, he has performed with the Calgary Orchestra (Liszt’s Totentanz) and the Lethbridge Orchestra (Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2), as well as with the Lily String Quartet and Musaeus String Quartet. Currently, he performs regularly in Paris, including at the Studio de L’Accord Parfait and the Théâtre de L’Île Saint-Louis.
In addition to his career as a pianist, Matthew Blackburn is also an actor. In 2024, he portrayed Sergei Rachmaninoff in a program on France 2.
With over 15 years of experience, Matthew is passionate about music education and runs a private piano studio in Paris, where his students regularly win prizes in international competitions. His studies with Guigla Katsarava and Rudolf Jansen have greatly influenced his teaching approach, particularly in terms of respect for the score and artistic expression.
Beyond music, Matthew is an avid outdoor enthusiast. These days, he enjoys spending time with his young twin daughters in Montmartre, Paris, where they reside.