“... a wonderfully fresh and robust voice, with clarion top notes
and a gift for sweet phrasing ...” — The San Francisco Chronicle
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
“Wilmette native Matthew Polenzani is singing his first ever Hoffmann, and he has become a splendid purveyor of French style and idiom with technical skills that carry him through major numbers in the three acts, prologue and epilogue.”
— Andrew Patner, Chicago Sun Times, October 2, 2011
“Tackling the daunting role of Hoffmann for the first time anywhere, Matthew Polenzani gives a vocally polished, ardent and stylish performance. The Wilmette-born singer, a star alum of the Ryan center, earned the audience’s acclaim on opening night. Hoffmann is a perfect fit for his voice and artistry at this stage of his international career. One had only to marvel at the stamina, tonal reserves, ease in the upper range and bell-like French vowels he brought to this daunting part.
What’s more, Polenzani cut a handsome figure and made one feel sympathy, even pity, for the hopelessly besotted Hoffmann, whose ability to fall in love with the wrong woman, time after time, strains credulity even by operatic standards.”
— John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, October 3, 2011
“In reflective phrases he sang with his trademark sweet sound and tenderness. Yet in bursts of bluster and, later, romantic despair, he let his voice ring out with unabashed operatic fervor and big top notes. He was intent, it seemed, on conveying the narrative sway and psychological complexity of this cycle.” (Alice Tully Hall Recital of Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin)
— Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, April 4, 2011
“Polenzani sang with glowing sound, delivering melting pianissimos, soaring climaxes, firm diction and complete dramatic commitment. His emotional response to the music rang with an authenticity that made the evening feel more like an intimate personal confession than a grand performance. The combination of Polenzani’s naturally open and personable demeanor with the elegance of his singing went a long way toward reconciling the naďveté of poet Wilhelm Müller’s bucolic protagonist with the sophistication of Schubert’s musical insights.” (Alice Tully Hall Recital of Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin)
— Joanne Sidney Lessner, Opera News, April 3, 2011
“Matthew Polenzani, very popular in Paris, maintains a smooth and seamless voice, powerful at times ... [with] a real elegance too rare in France.” (Cosě fan tutte at l’Opéra de Paris)
— Marc Chamblain, ResMusica, June 23, 2011 (Translated from French)
“Matthew Polenzani has the perfect tone for the role of Ferrando. He sings with a class and comfort that allows [his voice to go] to the extremes, while keeping the courage needed to dominate the formidable range [in the] tense final cavatina ‘Tradito, schernito.’” (Cosě fan tutte at l’Opéra de Paris)
— Marcel Quillévéré, ForumOpera.com, June 16, 2011 (Translated from French)
“Most of Liszt’s songs are big statements, usually described as virtuoso. But as with so much of his music, their difficulty in performance is to be found in their emotional and expressive extremes. The challenges are more than met here, with Polenzani doing things in songs such as Der Fischerknabe or Pace Non Trovo that you never thought were possible for a human voice, while Drake’s intensity is total and unswerving.”
— Tim Ashley, The Guardian UK, November 12, 2010
“[Matthew Polenzani] remains ... an extraordinarily communicative Lieder singer, possessed of an agile and flexible voice of tremendous versatility. In the most intimiate of these settings, as well as in the quasi-operatic ones, Polenzani and Drake create performances that are at once thoughtful, richly atmospheric and never less than compelling.”
— Patrick Rucker, International Record Review, November 2010 Issue
“If it is true that perfection does not exist, the Ernesto of Matthew Polenzani missed it by a hair’s breath. The timbre of his medium size tenor is pleasant and enticing, but it is his phenomenal technique that sets it apart. His performance was almost like a singing lesson. His voice, rich with overtones, is vibrant and flows free all throughout his remarkable range, with no friction whatsoever, a clear sign that the tenor has mastered the art of singing “sul fiato”, on the breath. As a consequence he is able to produce long breaths and an impeccable legato, not to mention a ringing top. The facility and naturalness with which he sails around and above the passaggio are astonishing; the ease he shows in the terribly arduous cabaletta (E se fia che ad altro oggetto), waltzing over phrases that constantly float between F and B flat, is staggering. An ironclad technique allows him to faithfully respect all the dynamics indicated by Donizetti. The recitative “Povero Ernesto” is an imaginative play between forte and piano; in the first phrase of the aria, he adheres to every marking, from the staccatos on the first two syllables of ‘Cercherò lontana terra’, to the marcato on ‘Lontana’, all in the same breath. Or, at the end of the same cavatina, the double messa di voce he performed on the A flat on “cancellar”. These are just a few examples of the chiselling and polishing job that Polenzani employed in his approach to the score.”
— Nicola Lischi, Opera Brittania, November 4, 2010
“From the first note [I was] certain that Matthew Polenzani as Faust [with] his moving, clear diction and effortless tenor ... would not show the slightest blemish.” (Translated from German)
— Hans-Klaus Jungheinrich, Frankfurter Rundschau, June 14, 2010
“As Belmonte, tenor Matthew Polenzani earned pride of place with a dazzling mixture of lyrical brilliance and dramatic flair; the tenor sang with the tonal beauty, firm heft and unfettered projection of a born Mozartean.”
— Georgina Rowe, Opera News, December 2009
“Matthew Polenzani made a thrilling Belmonte with his clear, ringing, pitch-perfect Mozart tenor.”
— Cheryl North, The Oakland Tribune, October 2, 2009
“Matthew Polenzani is the legitimate heir to a line of great Mozart tenors on record that extends back from Fritz Wunderlich, Peter Schreier and Leopold Simoneau to Richard Tauber and John McCormack. Polenzani does things with his voice in the War Memorial Opera House that he might not dare do in the cavernous Met. At appropriate moments, he pares his voice down to a shining sliver of sound, opening to full tones of equally melting purity. Few tenors can do this; fewer still know how to do it with such sweetness, elegance, and restraint that it becomes not a demonstration of vocal prowess, but rather a sincere expression of character and emotion.”
— Jason Victor Serinus, Bay Area Reporter, October 1, 2009
“The stage was dominated by the Tamino of Matthew Polenzani with his secure, clear and powerful tenor, and his exemplary diction.” (Translated from German)
— Von Gerhard Kramer, Wiener Zeitung, June 26, 2009
“... no one can match the Edgardo, sung with such knowledge, sophistication and technical ability as Matthew Polenzani: a tenor who, at his most sensitive has tenderness on command and when needed, uses his expansive voice wonderfully, especially in “bell’alma inamorata.” (Translated from German)
— Walter Weidringer, Die Presse, May 29, 2009
“Polenzani's Belmonte was an unalloyed triumph, as noble in bearing as in his intelligent, ardent and flexible shaping of each of the hero's four demanding arias.”
— John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, March 4, 2009
“As Belmonte, Polenzani was the evening's standout. His tenor sounded open and warm, flexible and capable of both heroic top notes and hushed reverie.”
— Wayne Delacoma, Chicago Sun-Times, March 4, 2009
“Few singers today command the sheer beauty of timbre and dynamic control of Matthew Polenzani. His almost impossibly beautiful pianissimo in ‘O wie ängstlich’was the vocal highlight of the evening, and ... ‘Ich baue ganz’ was as fluidly dispatched as I have ever heard it done.”
— Mark Thomas Ketterson, Opera News, March 2, 2009
“Matthew Polenzani, Chicago's own, was Don Ottavio, and sang like a dream. This is a shining age for Mozart tenors ...”
— Jay Nordlinger, The New York Sun, August 21, 2008
“Matthew Polenzani, with his suave, handsomely modulated tenor, cut a dashing figure as her lover, who, after tears and tribulation, engineers her escape.”
— Clive Barnes, The New York Post, April 29, 2008
“As Belmonte, who shows up at the harem to rescue his beloved, American tenor Matthew Polenzani displayed the sweet, unforced sound that has made him one of the Met's most promising young performers. Particularly admirable was his ability to modulate from loud to soft while maintaining remarkable breath control.”
— Mike Silverman, Associated Press, April 27, 2008
“Polenzani more than held his own in such blue-chip company. With his light and bright ... lyric tenor, the Wilmette-born singer looked, acted and sounded convincing as the impetuous, passionate young man from the provinces. He fully conveyed Alfredo's desperation as he saw Violetta's life slipping away.”
— John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, January 14, 2008
“Mr. Polenzani has a ringing, clarion lyric tenor that he can push to heroic heights as necessary. He thoroughly dominated these proceedings and, when left to his own devices, was astounding. In the balcony scene, his ‘Ah, leve-toi, soleil’ was especially impressive. He not only moves his voice along a difficult and rugged path, but retains both excellent pitch control and centering of tone. Think Jon Vickers with just a hint of nasality.”
— Fred Kirshnit, The New York Sun, January 3, 2008
“As usual, Mr. Polenzani displayed his amazingly beautiful voice — sweet, soothing, and sometimes downright heavenly. And, also as usual, he did some excellent, unforced singing. ... Britten wrote his ‘Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo’ in 1940 — and Mr. Polenzani did them justice, bringing out their character, including some sublimity. In the first song, he used a trumpet. Mr. Polenzani can be honeyed or clarion, whatever he needs. And, in a later song, he used a nice half-voice — a half-voice that was not disembodied ... I should say, too, that Mr. Polenzani sings a very pleasing Italian — idiomatic and tasty, perfectly comprehensible without being overly crisp.”
— Jay Nordlinger, The New York Sun, December 4, 2007
“Not that many years ago voice buffs in New York who admired the American tenor Matthew Polenzani had to content themselves with hearing him in winning performances of supporting roles at the Metropolitan Opera. For the role of David, for example, the young apprentice to the shoemaker Hans Sachs in Wagner’s ‘Meistersinger,’ the boy-next-door wholesomeness and awkward earnestness of his portrayal, not to mention his handsome singing, were ideal; he was the best David of my experience. ... On Sunday at the Rose Theater Mr. Polenzani opened Lincoln Center’s Art of the Song series with a substantive recital, accompanied by the pianist Julius Drake. Mr. Polenzani’s work in this more intimate art form put a focus on the qualities that make his opera performances so communicative. A Schubert group began with ‘Im Frühling,’ a gently lyrical song that Mr. Polenzani sang with exquisite grace and simplicity. As always, his voice was warm and tender, his musicianship impeccable, his diction clear and conversational... Mr. Polenzani’s rhapsodic singing was by turns declamatory, fervent and mysterious.”
— Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, December 4, 2007
“Singing Alfredo was the American tenor Matthew Polenzani. When he first milled about the stage, I had trouble recognizing him, in his mustache and beard. But there was no mistaking the voice: It was fresh and sweet, gleaming and lively ... He dispatched ‘De' miei bollenti spiriti’ almost too easily, as though this difficult aria were nothing. His later high C was like falling off a log. And he blended very well with Renée Fleming – in ‘Parigi, o cara,’ for example.”
— Jay Nordlinger, The New York Sun, November 5, 2007
“Matthew Polenzani, a splendid musician, handles the italianità, charting the Duke's seductiveness in dynamically varied singing that evokes two honey-voiced tenor ghosts of the Academy's legendary past, Ferruccio Tagliavini and Alain Vanzo.”
— David Shengold, Philadelphia CityPaper, October 10, 2007
“This tenor knows how to shape a lovely phrase and shade it with melting tone. He earns an ovation for his masterful account of the Duke's second act aria. Polenzani caresses Verdi's vocal lines and floats some lovely soft high notes.”
— Robert Baxter, New Jersey Courier-Post, October 8, 2007
“Tenor Matthew Polenzani was glorious, floating free above the fray with remarkable resonance.”
— Fred Kirshnit, The New York Sun, August 27, 2007
“The American tenor Matthew Polenzani sings Ferrando's arias with sweet tone, firm line and technical control.”
— Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, July 19, 2007
“Also making his house debut, the American tenor Matthew Polenzani impressed as Ferrando with a voice that moved seamlessly from ardent passion to exquisite pianissimo.”
— Richard Morris, The London Times, July 16, 2007
“Another ROH debutant, tenorMatthew Polenzanidrew huge applause for his rendition of ‘Un’aura amorosa’, and deservedly so. His beautiful rich voice shaped each phrase with care, and he was in outstanding voice all evening as Ferrando.”
— Dominic McHugh, MusicalCriticism.com, July 14, 2007
“In American tenor Matthew Polenzani, the production [of Der Rosenkavalier] possesses an artist who renders the Italian Singer's aria a thrilling highlight.”
— Donald Rosenberg, Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 9, 2007
“Matthew Polenzani's Roméo was, quite simply, the most beautiful tenor performance heard in the Chicago season thus far. His exquisitely spun diminuendo concluding ‘Ah! Lève-toi, soleil’ brought the house down, the elegant delicacy of his singing in the balcony scene subsequently giving way to the visceral, masculine ping that charged his rage at Tybalt. Polenzani has always been impressive, but his ravishing performance here propounded a formidable standard for contemporary performance of the French tenor repertoire.”
— Mark Thomas Ketterson, Opera News, February 2007
“The singer with the hardest job was also one of the most successful. Don Ottavio, Anna’s fiancé, can be a pretty thankless role. Despite singing two of Mozart’s most ravishing tenor arias, he still comes off as blandly ineffectual. But American tenor Matthew Polenzani has perhaps the finest tenor voice of his generation, and he sang with aristocratic elegance and potency ... I’ve never heard Ottavio’s first aria, ‘Dalla sua pace’ (‘On her peace mine depends’), sung more beautifully or expressively.”
— Lloyd Schwartz, Boston Phoenix, July 25, 2006
“Metropolitan Opera tenor Matthew Polenzani had the work's [Berlioz Requiem] only solo moment, in the ‘Sanctus.’ His voice is vibrant and very present, and the exposed high notes peal forth with intense concentration, like a ray of sun focused through a magnifying glass. He didn’t make the traditional distant, angelic effect; instead he offered something human and compelling.”
— Richard Dyer, Boston Globe, April 14, 2006
“Matthew Polenzani proved an excellent Alfredo with crystal-clear diction.”
— Julian Budden, Opera, April 2006
“The tenor on Sunday night was Matthew Polenzani, he of that extraordinary voice: sweet, lyrical, gorgeous. That voice was very much itself on this occasion. And Mr. Polenzani sang intelligently and powerfully. Like all critics - at least in this city - I have heard him in many types of music, and I have never heard him better - more beautiful or more convincing - than in the Janacek [The Diary of One Who Vanished]. ... (Richard) Goode played the piano part - not at all inconsequential - with color and command.”
— Jay Nordlinger, The New York Sun, March 21, 2006
“... Matthew Polenzani’s Act 1 adagio aria—dreamy, ardent, virtuosically nuanced yet artless in the best sense—was something to remember. It’s good to be reminded what Italian tenors are supposed to sound like, and how they can serve a piece without playing the divo; it’s not all about record-hype and crossover kitsch.”
— Gavin Borchert, Seattle Weekly, March 1, 2006
“Matthew Polenzani’s butter-smooth tenor was the most pleasing. His beautiful paean to his love, “Un’ aura amorosa,’ sung while sprawled on a futon piled with pillows, provoked one of the longest ovations of the evening.”
— Maggie Larrick, Queen Anne News, March 1, 2006
“Polenzani’s pianissimo delivery of the second half of ‘Un’ aura amorosa’ was magical (and astonishing, given that he had to sing it lying back on a pile of cushions) ...”
— Bernard Jacobson, S&H International, March 6, 2006
“The quartet of singers on Saturday night proved adept actors with comic timing and agile physicality. Mozart’s music was well served, with honors going to the superb tenor Matthew Polenzani (Ferrando), who sang with warmth and shimmering beauty.”
— Mike Murray, The Herald, March 3, 2006
“Matthew Polenzani, as Ferrando, possesses the most beautiful voice - honeyed and appealing - and took full advantage of what Mozart gave him.”
— R.M. Campbell, The Seattle-Post Intelligencer, February 27, 2006
“It would be impossible to overpraise Saturday's cast. Matthew Polenzani (Ferrando) is a Mozart tenor of exceptional beauty and finesse.”
— Melinda Bargreen, The Seattle Times, February 27, 2006
“In a production obsessed with sight gags as the Met’s Così fan tutte, it comes as a welcome surprise when a touch of wit emerges in musical form. This rare pleasure occurs during the disguised suitors’ mock suicide near the end of Act I, when tenor Matthew Polenzani as Ferrando dramatically modulates his volume after a warning sign from co-conspirator Guglielmo ... Polenzani’s hushed repeat of his rapid eight-note sequence hits the mark both for its technical skill and for the sense of barely repressed hilarity and apologetic caution it conveys. This was in many ways Polenzani’s night. Right from the opening trio, he managed to combine rapid-fire precision with strongly projected tone ... adding zest to ensembles. He also made the elaborate confection, ‘Ah lo veggio, quell’anima bella’ one of the vocal high points of an evening more marked by slapstick than by Mozartean grace.”
— David J. Baker, Opera News, January 2006
Matthew Polenzani ... presents a stunning Ferrando. His Act I solo and final love duet with Fiordiligi were both excruciatingly beautiful ...”
— wellsung.com, Nov. 3, 2005
“From the upper reaches of the gallery, the gifted lyric tenor Matthew Polenzani soared in his solo in the [Berlioz Requiem] ‘Sanctus,’ a heavenly effect in the vast but superior acoustic of Music Hall.”
— Janelle Gelfand, The Cincinnati Enquirer, May 30, 2005
“Matthew Polenzani is another artist with a clear voice and, it would seem, a clear head. His ability to modulate the climactic note of Faust’s aria from fff to ppp is a skill many a top-ranking tenor would envy. And one could take dictation from his terrific pronunciation. Though Polenzani possesses a timbre virtually perfect for French repertoire , light, forward, and bright, his singing of the Duke of Mantua in ‘Bella figlia dell’amore,’ the album’s one quartet, is quite persuasive — cause enough to imagine him shining in other Verdi roles down the line.”
— Drew Minter, Opera News, April 2005
“Polenzani’s fresh, straightforward approach to text, pure, open vowels, long-breathed phrases and sheer sweetness of timbre.”
— Louise T. Guinther, Opera News, April 2005
“Matthew Polenzani was Tamino, displaying that sweet-but-substantial instrument. He has a little Wunderlich in him, this fellow.”
— Jay Nordlinger, The New York Sun, October 11, 2004
“American tenor Matthew Polenzani was ardent in voice and action as Tamino, the noble prince who loses his way but keeps his wits and gets the girl.”
— Bradley Bambarger, The New Jersey Star Ledger, October 11, 2004
“Unusually impressive was the way Levine got the orchestra to ‘breathe’ with tenor Matthew Polenzani as Tamino and soprano Dorothea Roschmann as Pamina. Both have luminous voices and an unerring sense of how to shape a dramatic phrase.”
— Howard Kissel, The New York Daily News, October 11, 2004
“Matthew Polenzani was an admirable Tamino, his tenor getting better and better ...”
— Ronald Blum, New York Newsday, October 11, 2004
“Polenzani ... boasts a wonderfully fresh and robust voice, with clarion top notes and a gift for sweet phrasing that made the serenade ‘Se il mio nome’ into a passage of meltingly seductive beauty.”
— Joshua Kosman, The San Francisco Chronicle, January 13, 2004
“Il tenore Matthew Polenzani è stato un David di insolito rilievo, per vivacità e intelligenza espressiva.”
— Franco Corsaro, America Oggi, April 30, 2003
“The ‘other’ tenor in this opera is David, the cobbler’s apprentice, and he was sung by Matthew Polenzani, who seems to be in every production at the Met. Talk about a tenor on whom management is high. He was fresh and fearless, as usual. It was a kick to hear such lyrical and accurate singing in Wagner.”
— Jay Nordlinger, New York Sun, April 29, 2003
“Mathew Polenzani was a vividly sung David ...”
— Bernard Holland, New York Times, April 29, 2003
“Matthew Polenzani sang Iopas’ beguiling song with gorgeously decorative sweetness.”
— Justin Davidson, New York Newsday, February 14, 2003
“Matthew Polenzani was, as usual, pleasant, free, and endearing. He contributed one of the creamiest high C’s you’ll ever hear in an opera house. And the little song his character, Iopas, sings literally stopped the show.”
— Jay Nordlinger, New York Sun, February 12, 2003
“Perhaps the loveliest performance came in Matthew Polenzani’s portrayal of Iopas, the court poet. His tenor sound was an easy, youthful mix of light and rich. The role is a small one, his entertainment only a short song. But his appearance is the best kind of opera surprise: an artist who makes a big impression as someone ready to make great contributions.”
— Peter Dobrin, The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 12, 2003
“Mr. Polenzani, in particular, has a trueness of intonation and an elegance of line that recall the legendary French tenor George Thill.”
— Charles Michener, The New York Observer, February 12, 2003
“Matthew Polenzani sang the role of Iopas with delicacy and feeling.”
— Tim Page, The Washington Post, February 12, 2003
“Narciso, cha aveva la cove e lo stile gradevolissimi di Matthew Plenzani.”
— Mauro Mariani, Il Giornale della Musica, August 2002
“That’s because the singers are all really very, very good, especially tenor Matthew Polenzani (Ernesto) ... while Polenzani has that Italianate ring that we all crave ...”
— David Gregson, Opera West, April 21, 2002
“ ... the tenor Matthew Polenzani (Ernesto), a revelation with his fresh, charming voice and faultless diction ...”
— Matteo Sansone, Opera, February, 2002
“Matthew Polenzani’s agile, focused tenor brought a sly wit to the Jester.”
— Shirley Fleming, Musical America, May 8, 2001
“The best thing about this ‘Giovanni’ is Matthew Polenzani as Don Ottavio. It’s wonderful to hear this role sung by a robust, healthy-sounding tenor, and he negotiated both arias with style and aplomb.”
— Anne Midgette, The New York Times, March 27, 2001
“Matthew Polenzani (Lindoro) has the raw materials for the composer’s high-tenor roles.”
— Bernard Holland, Opera Review, February 5, 2001
“Matthew Polenzani brought virile sound and elegance to the jagged vocal lines.”
— Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, January 31, 2001
“Matthew Polenzani delivered the muscular metaphors and devilishly jumpy vocal lines with such clarity and confidence that the songs began to breathe."
— Justin Davidson, Newsday, January 30, 2001
“The fine young tenor Matthew Polenzani was an appropriately exuberant Steersman.”
— Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, November 27, 2000
“Matthew Polenzani’s agile, resilient tenor made for an exceptionally attractive Steersman.”
— Shirley Fleming, The New York Post, November 27, 2000
“The most exciting of the debutants is Polenzani, a tenor of considerable range and subtlety, who made an outstanding impression as the amorous Count Almaviva. He displayed ease, flexibility and finesse in the florid passage work, moving from soft and velvety phrases to a heroic, ringing quality in the top register. This is an imposing singer indeed.”
— Melinda Bargreen, Seattle Times, May 16, 2000
“This joy, which has become so rare, we owe to the tenor Matthew Polenzani, who sings with great lyricism and a magnificent voice, a great Romeo filled with emotion ...”
— Renaud Machart, Le Monde, April 6, 2000
Represented by:
Alec C. Treuhaft, Senior Vice-President, IMG Artists: General Management
Gianluca Macheda, Associate Director, IMG Artists: Europe