Natalie Tsaldarakis

About Natalie Tsaldarakis

Natalie Tsaldarakis is a London-based, Greek pianist and doctoral researcher at City, University of London. Her earlier studies in piano performance saw her working with several Juilliard pianists (Dimitri Toufexis, Dr. Bedford, Dr. McHugh) which first set her on a path to researching pianistic traditions. At the conclusion of her graduate studies in the US and in recognition of excellence in performance Natalie was elected member of the American National Music Honour Society Pi Kappa Lambda, and upon her return to Greece became assistant and mentee of new music specialist, concert pianist Danae Kara (1994-1996). Natalie received further coaching from pianists Elena Riu and Martino Tirimo, first at Trinity Laban Conservatoire and then at Morley College (2005-2008), while also studying for a second Master’s degree (the first being in piano performance) under well-known musicologists such as John Rink and Nicholas Cook at Royal Holloway (2007). Natalie’s ongoing research interests in the largely untold British history of pianism, have led her to pursue PhD studies under Dr. Ian Pace at City with a focus on pianist and pedagogue Gordon Green (1905-1981).
Natalie’s commitment to education has seen her spend a decade as lecturer and artist teacher in residence at the American College of Greece (1995-2005), piano professor of conservatoires including the National Conservatoire of Greece (1997-2006), and Coordinator for Higher Education Music Provision at Canterbury College (2008-2010). She has also lectured on a wide range of topics and given masterclasses in Greece, UK, and Serbia EPTA.
Natalie’s performing career includes solo and chamber music concerts (mainly as member of the Ivory Duo Piano Ensemble with her husband Panayotis Archontides) in Greece, US, Finland, Serbia, and the UK, including Southbank's Women of the World Festival, Glasgow City Halls, St John's Smith Square, St-Martin-in-the-Fields, Steinway Hall, St James Piccadilly, Athens Concert Hall, Sibelius Academy, besides a longstanding relationship with Morley College in collaboration with the Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust of which she was also a trustee (2016-2021). Her performances have been broadcasted on the National Greek Radio (ERA-1, ERA-3, ERA-5 International service), UK’s Resonance FM 104.4, WQXR (NY, US), and BBC Radio 3.