Matti Saarinen,

Guitarist and Educator.

Matti Saarinen (*1978) studied classical guitar at the Sibelius Academy (with Jukka Savijoki and Timo Korhonen), Musikhögskolan i Malmö (with Göran Söllscher and Gunnar Spjuth), and Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien (with Alvaro Pierri).

He further refined his skills through masterclasses with Erik Stenstadvold, Oscar Chiglia, David Russell, Nigel North, Hubert Käppel, and Wolfgang Muthspiel. He earned his Master’s degree from the Sibelius Academy in 2004.

As a soloist and ensemble musician, he has performed and recorded across all Nordic countries, as well as in the USA, Russia, Austria, Spain, and Germany. From 2006 to 2016, he lived and worked in Iceland. He is currently based in Helsinki, working as an educator and an active musician in the classical and jazz music scenes.

He has released two solo albums and a book of his own compositions, Matti Saarinen – 12 Studies for Guitar”.

“My strategy as a musician is to stay curious and keep an open mind. I believe that education in classical music provides a solid basis for expeditions to composition, orchestration, and improvisation.”