Matthew Dirst

First American to win major international prizes in both organ and harpsichord, including the National Guild of Organists Young Artist Competition and the Warsaw International Harpsichord Competition. Widely admired for his stylish playing and conducting, the Dallas Morning News recently praised his “crisp but expressive direction” of the Monteverdi 1610 Vespers while naming this performance “Best Classical Performance of 2010.” Dirst’s recordings of music by Scarlatti and Hasse with Ars Lyrica, have earned a Grammy nomination (for Best Opera 2011) and widespread critical acclaim. His degrees include a PhD in musicology from Stanford University and the prix de virtuosité in both organ and harpsichord from the Conservatoire National de Reuil-Malmaison, France, where he  spent two years as a Fulbright scholar. Equally active as a scholar, his book Engaging Bach: The Keyboard Legacy from Marpurg to Mendelssohn was published in 2012 by Cambridge University Press.