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The American bass-baritone singer, actor and organist, Matthew Hyland Cook, grew up singing in church choirs and acting in musical theatre productions. Upon admission to Pomona College in 2016, he began singing with the Pomona College Choir and Glee Club, as well as the choir at Claremont United Methodist Church. He was a voice student of Holly Price-Ristuccia and Scott Lehmkuhl. In 2018, he studied abroad at the University of Melbourne in Australia, where he was cast in the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music’s production of Francis Poulenc's Dialogues des Camelites: He sang in the chorus and covered the role of the Jailer. In his last three semesters back at Pomona, he gave three solo recitals and continued to sing in choirs. He graduated from Pomona in May 2020 with a major Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and a minor in economics.
In addition to singing, Matthew Cook has been studying organ since 2015 and is a member of the American Guild of Organists. He has occasionally substituted for church services and weddings in California and Virginia. In February 2020, he successfully completed the Guild’s Service Playing Certificate test.
Having returned to the DC area, Matthew Cook is currently a voice student of Laurie Nelson. In May 2020, he participated in Opera Steamboat’s Real-Life Opera Program virtually, which gave him the opportunity to work with Daniel Belcher and Mark Trawka. In July 2020, he began voice over coaching with Karen-Eileen Gordon, and joined the VO Heroes program in September. In addition, he is a student of the John Rosenfeld Studio. Hae obtained his Master of Music degree in in Vocal Arts University of Southern California in 2023. He is a published audiobook narrator and has appeared in stage productions since 2006. |
