Born: USA

Regarded as one of the finest singers of her generation, the American soprano Tamara Matthews' voice has been described as 'worthy of the angels'. As First Prize winner of the Musica Sacra Bach Vocal Competition, she made her Carnegie Hall début in 1994.

Tamara Matthews has appeared with the Los Angeles Master Chorale; the Accademia per La Musica Antica; and the Berkeley, Boston and Ravinia music festivals. Recent appearances as guest soloist have included performances of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis and Ninth Symphony and the Mozart Mass in C minor in San Francisco, Händel arias in New York, and Mendelssohn's Elijah in Philadelphia. She has collaborated with prominent conductors including Leonard Slatkin, Paul Salamunovich, Vance George, Joshua Rifkin, Robert Page, Luis Biava, and Greg Funfgeld. Last season she enjoyed triumphant débuts as soloist with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Operatic débuts in New York, Chicago and San Francisco have garnered high praise for her portrayals of a wide range of roles. She was also featured in the world premiere of Scarlatti's newly discovered L'Adimiro with Cal Performances.

New recordings include Bach's Mass in B minor (BWV 232) with Dorian; the D. Buxtehude's Sacred Cantatas; a live performance of Bach's St. John Passion (BWV 245) and a collection of works by Ristori, Fux, Heinichen and Lotti on Pro Gloria Musicae; The Music of William Byrd on Lyrichord; and Beethoven's 9^th Symphony and Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass for Koch International Classics. She also records for Angel/EMI and the Musical Heritage Society. In the 1998-1999 season she is featured soloist with the Marlboro Music Festival, the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and she will make her company début with Opera Delaware as Donna Anna.

Recently, Tamara Matthews has joined the faculty of the Westminster Choir College (Princeton, New Jersey), as a professor of voice. She appeared as soloist with this illustrious ensemble at Carnegie Hall in December.

Source: Liner notes to the album 'J.S. Bach: Christmas Oratorio', conducted by GregFunfgeld (Dorian Recordings, 1999); Tamara Matthews Website (1998)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (February 2001)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Greg Funfgeld

Soprano

BWV 232, BWV 248

Eric J. Milnes

Soprano

BWV 245

Jeffrey Thomas

Soprano

BWV 244

Martin Pearlman

Soprano

BWV 243

Links to other Sites

Tamara Matthews, Soprano (Novo Artists)
Tamara Matthews (Astral Classical Series)

Tamara Matthews, Soprano (Bethlehem)

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