Matthew Gattuso, a Northern VA performer and teacher, works as a freelance musician and performs on viola , violin and piano in a variety of opportunities. He is the Principal Second Violin with the Piedmont Symphony orchestra, has performed with the National String Symphonia, Reston Chorale, Washington Young Symphonia, Kennedy String Quartet, and as a chamber musician for various weddings and events.

Mr. Gattuso received his BA in music from the College of William and Mary with concentrations in piano performance and composition. He completed a full-length piano and composition recital in the spring of 2011.

Mr. Gattuso began teaching strings privately in the Fall of 2012 and was a founding member of the Crossroads Youth Orchestra in Culpeper, VA as well as acting assistant conductor for the inaugural season. In December of 2015, he completed his Masters in Strings Pedagogy from George Mason University.

Mr. Gattuso would like to share the following words conveying his teaching philosophy:

Healing, Power, Compassion through music

I believe in the power of sound. The journey of learning an instrument is a singular process. It merges many skills, mental physical and emotional. It provides an opportunity for self discovery and to ask questions about what is meaningful to us. In performance, there is the privilege to express that which inspires, moves, and sustains us. Not all of those things have words, but they all have sound.

In sharing music we give something of ourself to others. That process is healing. It is restorative. It binds us with the melody and harmony of community. The pulse of our lives becomes more synchronized when we can recognize and reflect on what we all share as humans. That sharing is beautiful and inspires compassion.

In the initial stages of learning, it is necessary to spend large quantities of time in teaching and in practice on physical posture and technique. The practicing of physical motions, hand eye coordination, mental preparation and problem solving challenge us and make us more critical thinkers.

These things are the foundations that allow us to then freely express music. That music then empowers self confidence and the esteem of knowing you have created something that is truly yours. When we choose to share that with others it transcends boundaries of mine or yours, and becomes “ours”, an expression of our collective humanity. That music which we share honestly and with humility truly is the gift that keeps on giving.