Biography

Matt Stalzer (he/him) is a creative performer and teacher who brings great passion for music into every lesson. A native of McLean, Virginia, Matt began his musical studies at the age of 4 at the Levine School in Washington D.C. From an early age, he showed a great love for the flute, making his performance debut at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts at the age of 8. Matt earned his Bachelor of Music degree with honor from Shenandoah Conservatory, where he studied with Jonathan Snowden, former principal flute of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He completed his Master of Music degree at Northwestern University, where he studied with John Thorne, Jennifer Gunn, and Alyce Johnson. Throughout his career, Matt has had the opportunity to perform in numerous masterclasses, including a recent class taught by Stefán Höskuldsson of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Matt’s roots as a flute teacher run deep, starting from his early days in the Suzuki Flute program. His understanding and appreciation for how great teaching can bring about development in every student of any age began with his studies with Rebecca Carey. Upon completing his BM, Matthew immediately began training to receive a Suzuki teaching certificate. He completed level one Suzuki training with Laura Larson, a noted Suzuki teacher trainer. He has participated in workshops featuring noted Suzuki figures such as Dr. Toshio Takahashi, founder of the Suzuki Flute program, and Rebecca Paluzzi, who directs the Suzuki Studies Program at East Tennessee State University. He began teaching at Washington D.C.’s Levine Music summer music program, where he taught private and group lessons. Since 2021, he has been on the faculty of The People’s Music School in Chicago. He hopes to foster a lifelong love of music in all of his students, regardless of age or prior experience.