BIOGRAPHY
In 2019/2020, Matthew Peña returns to the Staatsoper Unter den Linden as the 3. Jew in Salome, and 1. Trojan in Idomeneo, as well as the Deutsche Oper Berlin as Snout in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He also returns for revivals of Death in Venice at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and Trin in La Fanciulla del West at Oper Leipzig.
Recent engagements include several modern works at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, including Der Student Arkenholz in Reimann’s Die Gespenstersonate, Asle in Nikolaus Brass’s Sommertag, the German premiere of Sciarrino's Ti Vedo, Ti Sento, Mi Perdo, directed by Jürgen Flimm and conducted by Maxime Pascal, and the revised world premiere of Jörg Widmann's Babylon.
Other recent appearances include Prince Rajami in Kalman's Die Bajadere with the Theater und Orchester Neubrandenburg/Neustrelitz, Trin in Fanciulla del West with Oper Leipzig, Jakob in Amalia! Eine Westernoper, a special project of the Haydn Foundation in Bolzano, Italy, and in concert with the Staatsorchester Braunschweig.
Originally from Modesto, California, Matthew joined the Stipendiat Ensemble of the Deutsche Oper Berlin in 2011 as a winner of the Opera Foundation prize, and since then, has been a frequent guest in roles such as Wirt/Tierhändler in Der Rosenkavalier, 1. Matrose in Vasco da Gama, Remendado in Carmen, 1. Geharnischter in Die Zauberflöte, as well as Das Schlaue Füchslein, Lady Macbeth of Mzensk, Salome, and, recently, the world premiere of Zad Moultaka's Delirio in 2019.
Other notable debuts include Der Bucklige in Die Frau Ohne Schatten at the Bayerische Staatsoper, conducted by Kirill Petrenko, and Edmondo in Manon Lescaut at both the Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman, on tour with the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the Palau de les Arts Renia Sofia in Valencia conducted by Plácido Domingo. He also recorded the role with Maestro Domingo, Andrea Bocelli and the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, released by Decca in 2014.
Further appearances include engagements at Teatro Regio di Torino, Theater Kiel, Theater Lübeck, Landestheater Coburg, Oper Wuppertal, Theater Nordhausen, Stadttheater Aschaffenburg, and several roles at the Volkstheater Rostock, including Fenton in Falstaff, tenor soloist in Händel's Messiah, and Marquis von Chateauneuf in Zar und Zimmermann.