Matthew Payne, English-American baritone, recently completed his M.M at the University of Maryland, as a member of the Maryland Opera Studio. He also concurrently received Bachelor degrees in vocal performance and in biology from Oberlin Conservatory and College. During the 2022/23 season, Matthew will head to Toledo Opera as a resident artist and will debut two roles, Cascada in The Merry Widow and the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance. Last summer Matthew was a young artist at Central City Opera, where he covered the role of Marullo and Count Monterone in Verdi’s Rigoletto. While there he also gave a solo recital as a part of their “Al Fresco” series.  During the 2021/22 season Matthew has already portrayed Papageno in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (Maryland Opera Studio), premiered the role of Aaron in Nailah Nombeko’s new opera Sunder (Annapolis Opera and Maryland Opera Studio), and portrayed Joe Harland in John Musto’s Later the Same Evening (Maryland Opera Studio).

Payne has previously performed as a baritone fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center (2019). While there, he participated in a masterclass with Renée Fleming (broadcast on The Today Show), performed Othmar Schoeck’s Notturno with the New Fromm Players, and sang Schlendrian in Bach’s Coffee Cantata with conductors John Harbison and Killian Farrell. Payne has also been an artist at the Chautauqua Conservatory and Opera (2018), and at Opera Neo (2017 & 2016).

Matthew also has a passion for Jazz Standards and traditional American Ballads and has performed across the country at venues like Seiji Ozawa Hall, Tanglewood, Chautauqua Amphitheater, the French Embassy, the Washington Monument and the Central City Opera House.

Payne’s previous theater roles include: Roberto (cover) in Mozart’s La finta giardiniera (Maryland Opera Studio), Billy Bigelow in Carousel (Skaneateles Theater), Mr. Gobineau in Menotti’s The Medium (Oberlin Opera Theater), Charlie in Jake Heggie’s Opera Three Decembers (an Oberlin collaboration concert with librettist Gene Scheer and conductor Joseph Mechavich), Executor in John Kander’s workshopped production of The Enchanted, Victor in Cabaret (Oberlin College Theater), Lysander in Purcell’s Fairy Queen (Opera Neo), and Massetto (cover) in Don Giovanni (Opera Neo). 

As a soloist, Payne has performed in concerts with the French Embassy, Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Washington Opera Society, the Oberlin Conservatory Orchestra (baritone soloist in Faure’s Requiem), the Society for New Music, and the Oberlin Baroque Ensemble. Payne has also been a finalist in the Sigma Alpha Iota Competition and a semi-finalist in the Orpheus Vocal Competition.  Matthew is currently under the tutelage of bass-baritone Kevin Short.

Matthew is also the co-founder of re-sound, a Classical Hybrid Concert Producer looking to re-shape and re-sound the way classical musicians present and perform in the 21st century. Educationally, Matthew is the founding voice teacher at Virtu. Academy, a high-quality online lesson provider. In his free time, Payne is also a published photographer.