Tobias Matthay was born in London on February 19, 1858. He commenced his studies at the age of 6 under private instructors. Matthay enrolled at the Royal Academy when he was 13 and later began teaching there in 1876. He founded his own school in 1900 and formed a teaching method named, appropriately, The Matthay System. Matthay was one of the most prestigious teachers of his era and wrote a number of books and musical pieces as well. He died on December 14, 1945.