Grandin Court Baptist Church 2660 Brambleton Ave, Roanoke, VA 24015
Workshop and recital presented by Matt Cataldi, Radford University
ABOUT THE PRESENTATION
“24 Preludes in Popular Style after Chopin”
Description: Modern piano pedagogy enjoys a wealth of wonderful material geared towards the classical pianist – and suffers a severe lack of quality educational music in popular styles. This arrangement project aims to equip teachers and students with technical vocabulary and stylistic awareness in a wide variety of popular musical styles including swing, blues, gospel, ragtime, funk, hip-hop, bossa nova, bebop, and many more, all based off of Chopin’s 24 Preludes which are already frequently studied and programmed in the teaching studio.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
“Cataldi wasn’t your typical, classically trained pianist –
he was a rockstar and he brought the house down.”*
Dr. Matthew Cataldi has enjoyed a wildly versatile career as a piano soloist, collaborative artist, conductor, composer, and educator. He holds a BM from Florida State University, as well as MM and DM degrees in Piano Performance and Literature from Indiana University where he studied with Brazilian-born pianist Arnaldo Cohen.
As a performer, he has appeared on the stages of Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in addition to many other venues across the Americas and Canada. He gave his orchestral debut as a teenager playing Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto, and has recorded a documentary CD of Spanish and Latin American piano music which was accompanied by an international concert and lecture tour. He is also active as a conductor and musical director in the theatre world, having premiered several new works in New York City in collaboration with Tony Award winning Broadway artists.
As a composer and arranger, he enjoys bridging the classical and popular worlds, creating and presenting exciting new music that caters to his unique background and interests. Recent compositions and premiers include: “Variations and Fugue on a theme by Led Zeppelin” – a classical set of variations on the iconic rock song “Stairway to Heaven”, “Hail to the King” – a virtuosic medley of Michael Jackson’s greatest hits, and his most recent project, “24 Preludes in Popular Style after Chopin” – a transcription project that arranges all of Chopin’s Op.28 Preludes in a variety of popular styles, intended to introduce classical piano students to elements of popular music while equipping them with the tools and vocabulary necessary to traverse a diverse range of musical styles.
As an educator, he is active on the local, regional, and national research and pedagogy scenes. He serves as president of the Highlands Chapter of the Virginia Music Teachers Association where he organizes and runs festivals for local piano students, and has presented on multiple occasions for the Music Teachers National Association annual conference on topics including improvisation and cadenza creation. He is frequently invited as an adjudicator for competitions and to present workshops and masterclasses for students across the country. His own students have been active and visible on the national stage as well, being invited to speak on research panels and presenting for the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. His articles have been published by the College Music Society and the American Music Teacher.
Dr. Cataldi currently serves as Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Professor of Piano at Radford University in Radford, Virginia, where he was recently awarded the Dalton Eminent Scholar Rising Star award – a university-wide award for creative scholarship that recognizes faculty with distinguished international reputations in their discipline.
*The Concordian