Shawn Mathey

Vocalists — Tenor

• Manager: Michael Benchetrit
  Management Territory: Worldwide

“A surprise addition to the production is Shawn Mathey coming in as a last-minute replacement for the ailing Finnish tenor Topi Lehtipuu. “Don Ottavio”, the patient hanger-on admirer of “Donna Anna”, is a vocally challenging and often thankless role for many tenors, including the Mozart tenor. It’s just the way the character’s two major arias sit in the voice and the fact that neither of the pieces catapult audiences to their feet. Not so for Shawn Mathey. He was completely at home in this role that marks his debut with SF Opera. His first act aria, “Dalla sua Pace”, was sweet and resonant in the house, Mathey displaying solid control throughout his range. The fireworks came in Act II with “Il mio tesoro”. Mathey’s coloratura is crystal clear and the upper register bright and passionate. This season he will go on to perform two other Mozart favorites, “Tamino” in Die Zauberflöte with the Dallas Opera and “Ferrando” in Cosi fan tutte at Bamberg.” —Sean Martinfield, San Francisco Sentinel, October 19, 2011

"Shawn Mathey made an impressive Lyric debut as Lysander, displaying a honeyed tenor and proving both ardent and amusing in his sudden post-potion infatuation. " —Lawrence A. Johnson, Chicago Classical Review, November 2010-As Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream

About

Tenor Shawn Mathey performs in the most important and distinguished opera companies and music festivals in the world including the Paris Opera, the Opernhaus Zurich, the Salzburg Festival, Aix-en-Provence Festival, the Theater an der Wien, and the Frankfurt Opera, among many others.

This season marks Shawn Mathey’s return to London for one of his signature roles, Tamino, at the English National Opera. He will reprise this role for further performances of Die Zauberflöte in Charlotte and Omaha. He will also be heard in an . . . Opera Gala Concert at home in Toledo, OH. Further projects include returns to the Washington National Opera and the Cincinnati Opera, both in leading roles.

Last season, Mr. Mathey made auspicious debuts with the San Francisco Opera as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, the Dallas Opera as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, the Lisbon Opera as Ferrando in Così Fan Tutte and the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome as Lysander in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Further engagements included Ferrando in Così FanTutte in Bamberg, Messiah in Toledo, and concerts and a recording of Bruckner’s Mass No. 3 in F minor with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and Marek Janowski.

In the recent past Shawn Mathey made his debut with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, followed by Don Giovanni with the Zurich Opera and the Cleveland Orchestra with Franz Welser-Möst conducting. Later in the season, he returned to the Washington National Opera for performances of Pylade in Iphigénie en Tauride, followed by Die Zauberflöte with Cincinnati Opera.

Prior to that, Mr. Mathey returned the Opernhaus Zurich in the title role of La Clemenza di Tito, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, and Ferrando in Così fan tutte at the Bayerische Staatsoper. In concert, he appeared with the Bayerische Rundfunk in Haydn’s Die Schöpfung and Oratorio de Noël by Saint-Saens, as well as Gonzalvo in Ravel’s L’heure espagnole with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. In the 2008-09 season, Mr. Mathey performed at the Opernhaus Zurich for performances of Tom Rakewell in a new production of The Rake’s Progress, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte at the Paris Opera, and Don Ottavio in the first annual Peter Mattei Festival in Lulea, Sweden.

Mr. Mathey made his debut at the Washington National Opera as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, and also with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, first, in Berlioz’ Lelio, and then he later in Handel’s Messiah. Additionally, at Opernhaus Zurich, Mr. Mathey sang several performances of Golo in Schumann’s rarely performed Genoveva (now available on DVD), as well as Ferrando in Così Fan Tutte.

Additional performances include Belmonte in Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail at the Opernhaus Zurich, where he has enjoyed successes in such roles as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Ferrando in Così Fan Tutte in Paris, a role he also sang for his debuts at both the Salzburg Festival and Aix-en-Provence Festival. Also, Ferrando for his debut at the Theater an der Wien, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni in Paris, reprising performances he sang in there in the 2005-2006 season. Additionally, in the US, Gerald in Lakmé with Minnesota Opera, Belmote for Michigan Opera Theater, and Ferrando in Cincinnati.

Mr. Mathey has enjoyed a particularly long and gratifying relationship with Frankfurt Opera. With this company, he has sung such varied repertoire as the Painter in Lulu, Lurcanio in Handel’s Ariodante, Eginhard in Schubert’s Fierrabras, staged performances of Schubert’s song cycle, Die schöne Müllerin, Fenton in Falstaff, as well as Ferrando, Don Ottavio, Tamino, and Belmonte.

Other engagements of note include his debut at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden in 2003 as Beppe in a new Franco Zeffirelli production of I Pagliacci, conducted by Plácido Domingo, Ernesto in Don Pasquale at L'Opera de Montreal, Ruggero in La Rondine with Boston Lyric Opera in March, 2003, Belmonte with Opera Pacific in 2003, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Opera Theatre of St. Louis in 2002, the Duke in Rigoletto with Houston Grand Opera in 2001, and Alessandro in Mozart’s Il Re Pastore in July, 2001, with Lake George Opera.

In concert, he made his Carnegie Hall debut as the Gondolier in Donizetti’s rarely heard Marino Faliero with Eve Queler conducting the Opera Orchestra of New York. For his Avery Fisher Hall debut with the American Symphony Orchestra in February, 2001, he sang the role of Lyonnel in Chausson’s Le Roi Arthus, and the New York Times wrote: “Shawn Mathey sang engagingly as Lancelot's squire, Lionel.” In April, 2003 Mr. Mathey made his New York recital debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall under the auspices of Opera Orchestra of New York and the Vidda Foundation. Mr. Mathey received his training at the prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, PA.

Updated September 2012

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