Alla, England / Russia
"Mr. Koumis was my piano tutor for only three years, but nevertheless, in such a short time, he passed on all the necessary skills to me. His trick is that he knows how to encourage the creativity of an individual person. Although I have not taken lessons for a long time, I can say with confidence that thanks to him, I have mastered the ability to compose extraordinary compositions."
Господин Кумис был моим репетитором по пианино всего три года, но тем не менее за такое короткое время он передал мне все нужные навыки. Его фишка в том, что он умеет поощрять креативность индивидуального человека. Хоть я давно уже не беру уроки, могу с уверенностью сказать, что благородя ему, я освоила умение сочинять необыкновенные композиции.
"Siuhang, China
随Matt习琴已两年，这两年⾥我的演奏在各⽅⾯的进步都很⼤。在各⽅⾯的进步⾥让我感到
最开⼼的是，我不再觉得习琴是⼀件很严肃的或者痛苦的事情，Matt总是有他的⽅法让我感
到这次的学习是轻松和愉快的。我说得有点像卖⼴告了，但我真的不是托！我是真的很喜欢
Matt的教学⽅法和课堂氛围！
"I have been learning the piano online with Matt for two years. During these two years, my performance has improved a lot in all aspects. What makes me happiest in all aspects of progress is that I no longer feel that learning the piano is a very serious or painful thing. Matt always has his way to make me feel that this learning is easy and enjoyable. I sound like I'm selling an ad, but I'm really not TOO! I really like Matt's teaching methods and classroom atmosphere!"
Grace L, Taiwan / England
“Many thanks Matthew Koumis, you’re such a good teacher to help Mike and Emmy through their piano playing, relaxed intuitive, sympathetic and a very good communicator! Best wishes to your teaching!”
Abhinav, India / UK
"Hi Mr. Koumis, I am delighted to inform you that I passed my ATCL Diploma with Distinction (92/100). Thank you so much for all the guidance and teaching points you gave me while preparing for the exam. It really helped! I know I wouldn't have achieved the same result without your help. I'm attaching a copy of the examination report,
I'd love if you could read it if you've got some spare time!
Thanks very much! Sincerely, Abhinav
Miss Gao, Taipei European School, Taiwan
“We get nice feedback from the parents, that’s why we keep recommending you!”
Yuan, Taiwan / USA
"Dear Matthew,
I hope this email finds you well! I am happy to let you know that Ben won the first place of the competition and just completed the winners' recital at Carnegie Hall last weekend. Attached is a rough recording of his performance on Sunday. Again, we really appreciate your teaching and help!
Warm regards"
Gulya G, Russia / England
"Hello, Matthew! Hope you are doing well. I thought I will let you know that Maya won the Music Scholarship Award at King Edward VI School. And I thought I should congratulate you as well and thank you for preparing and teaching her so well. It is your achievement as well. She is very pleased and happy.”
xx
Teacher training in Sri Lanka, 2024
These days I teach mostly teacher-training, and advanced piano students (Grade 8, Diploma, music college entrance etc). But I'm happy to teach anyone who wants to learn.
Tifany, Indonesia
"As a young adult I find it really great studying with Mr. Koumis, he follows your pace and makes sure you make progress without putting too much pressure. Every lesson always left me knowing something new with added motivation to practice more!"
Accompanying a young student to the Royal College of Music instruments museum, London
Mahler
"Tradition is not about worshipping the ashes. It's about passing the flame onto the next person."
My neighbour's daughter Yi-Re has a hearing disability; I opened the door for her to enjoy the piano through its sights and vibrations.
I also teach Music Therapy students, in particular with improvising.
Camille C., Taipei
"Thank you for your lessons, you are always a very inspiring teacher!"
photo credit: Tamsin Koumis
Jade, at my student recital in Tianmu, Taipei
Fang-Lin Liu (Taiwan / England)
Visiting the Royal College of Music and Purcell School with my student Fang-Lin Liu. She went on to study at the Purcell School and later as a postgraduate at the Royal Academy of Music.
Fang-Lin Liu plays Matthew Koumis transcription of Tchaikowsky
Yvonne, Hong Kong (LRSM Piano teaching Diploma)
Dear Matt, I want to thank you so much for helping me navigate through my diploma these past 18 months! That was quite a tricky exam overall, with the playing and the videos and the essays! But we made it! A huge thank you!
Stacy, Taipei 2025
"Thank you for always being the awesome teacher Lucien needs!"
I helped Lucien with piano, composing and music typesetting, and helped to print his Opus 1.
Emily, London, England
Dear Matthew Koumis
I am writing after many years to say a big thank you for teaching me the piano, and especially for one thing: you were the first person to suggest I look at a career in publishing when I was 15. I don't know how you knew, but things worked out well, and I've since created a lot of children's books for Usborne.
REVIEWS
5.0 out of 5 stars Piano Music of Yannis Constantinnidis (Etcetera label)
"Spiritual balm for the soul, from the cradle of civilisation"
amazon.co.uk
“When I first heard this music, I thought it was very well executed but not so deep. Yet I have kept returning to it, and the more I listen to it the more I love it. It is perfect for a summer’s day, the hotter the better, as it sings of hot Greek islands – at least to me. There is in fact a delicacy to this music, a control of appetite, a hidden reserve of strength, and not any lack of depth, as I have discovered. I hope Matthew Koumis brings out another disc to match this one…”
“The Salle Des Pasteurs [Neuchatel, Switzerland] has a remarkable acoustic, lending itself well to piano recitals, and when one has the chance to hear a pianist such as Matthew Koumis, the pleasure is complete. With Chopin, Matthew Koumis impressed us with his powerful technique and his exact sense of Chopin’s discourse, the Scherzo executed with perfect mastery… Such panache, such virtuosity!”
L’Express, Switzerland
“The Greek pianist from London wants to penetrate to the heart of the music. He has the gift of making the keyboard sing.”
FAN, Switzerland
With the Swiss composer Paul Mathey, La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland. I performed his music (in the style of Tournemire) in Lausanne, Geneva and Bergamo, Italy.
“Verbal introduction and humorous anecdotes were a feature of the evening and no doubt these helped to establish rapport with the audience at large, some of whom may not have been regular concert goers… a sensitive and perceptive approach that won the hearts of the audience.”Hampshire Chronicle, England
Piano Recital: Romsey Abbey
“For his lunchtime recital Matthew Koumis chose a programme showing both the Abbey’s Bluthner instrument and his own well-developed artistic refinement to excellent advantage. The opening Sonata in A minor (D784) of Schubert revealed him to be a player who can respond to variations of dynamic with great subtlety. Every detail was placed with extreme care and, considering the variation one can expect from one piano to another, miscalculations were rare. Kodaly’s Meditation, based on a motif by Debussy, was extremely sensitively handled. With masterly control over the shaping of the cantabile phrases, Mr Koumis highlighted the undeniable charm and the serene old world atmosphere of Ravel’s Pavane pour une Infante Defunte (1899). In the Prelude, Choral and Fugue (1885) of Cesar Franck, the work’s considerable technical difficulties, such as wide stretches and the holding of low octave basses under moving parts, were overcome with disarming ease, while stable rhythms and clear textures, especially in the last section, made one aware of the monumental grandeur. The cadenza at the end was dispatched with considerable panache, making an impressive conclusion both to the performance and a most enjoyable recital.
Hampshire Chronicle, Winchester, England