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The American bass-baritone, Matthew Sullivan, had his undergraduate studies with baritones William Sharp and John Shirley-Quirk culminated in a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland (2013), after which he earned his Master of Music degree at the Yale School of Music and Yale Institute of Sacred Music in New Haven, Connecticut under tenor James Taylor (2015-2018). He has appeared in master-classes with Emma Kirkby, Christian Gerhaher, Julianne Baird, Peter Nilsson, Alexander Oliver, and Clara Rottsolk.
Matthew Sullivan’s voice has been described as “commanding” (Academy of Sacred Drama) and as a “consistent standout” (Washington Life) and he enjoys a busy career throughout the East coast and Europe. In previous seasons, he sang as bass soloist for J.S. Bach's Magnificat (BWV 243), Trauerode (BWV 198), Pilate and bass soloist for Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244b), Cantatas BWV 147 and BWV 172, Mass in G-moll (BWV 235), Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers, Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb (Op. 30), Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem (Op. 9), Johannes Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem (Op. 45), Johann Adolf Hasse’s Misererre, and both Jesus and evangelist in Arvo Pärt’s Passio. Prior to his studies at Yale, he sang as bass soloist for Georg Philipp Telemann’s Der Tod Jesu (TWV 5:6), George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit (H. 9), Haydn’s Theresienmesse (H. 22/12), and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle. In his most recent season, he performed as Pilate in Robert Schumann’s 1851 realization of J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion (BWV 245), bass soloist in both Scarlatti’s Stabat Mater and MacMillan’s Seven Last Words of Christ, and Herod in Heinrich Schütz’ Weinachtshisorie, all under David Hill with the Yale Schola Cantorum.
In addition to his work as a solo artist, Matthew Sullivan has appeared with such ensembles as Bach Collegium Japan (Director: Masaaki Suzuki), Yale Voxtet, Yale Schola Cantorum, Yale Recital Chorus, St. Thomas’s Schola Antigua, Folger Consort, Mountainside Baroque, Friends of St. Bartholomew’s, Baltimore Baroque Band, Peabody Consort, Peabody Renaissance Ensemble, Bel Pianto, The Bridge Ensemble, Opera Lafayette.
On the stage, Matthew Sullivan has most notably sung the title role of Ulisse in Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria with Opera Studio Nederland, Achilla in G.F. Handel’s Giulio Cesare with the American Opera Theater, Figaro in W.A. Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro in scenes at the Peabody Opera Theater, Frank in Strauss’s Die Fledermaus with the Peabody Opera Theatre, and Lucas in Gluck’s L’Ivrogne corrigé.
As a recording artist, Matthew Sullivan has been recorded on the Hyperion album both as the baritone soloist in J. Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem and as Herod on the Yale Schola Cantorum's Christmas album forthcoming featuring H. Schütz' Weinachts-historie. His work on the J. Brahms' recording has been described as "forthright and honest", and "suitably vulnerable." Previous to these works, he recorded Michael Rickelton’s Battle Songs for Albany Records, Felicien David’s Lalla Roukh with Opera Lafayette on Naxos, and theater music for Firaxes Games’s Civilization V. Of the Rickelton recording, he was described as "the best singer... strong and confident."
Current notable engagements this season include a recital of Micahel Rickelton's Battle Songs this November at St. David’s Episcopal in Baltimore, various recitals of Charles Ives' music across New England, a performance of J.S. Bach's Weinachts-Oratorium (BWV 248) at St. Stephen's in Ridgefield, a Messiah with the American Baroque Orchestra in Hartford, and a performance of Bob Chilcott’s St. John Passion as Jesus for the Burlington Choral Society under Richard Riley.
Matthew Sullivan served as Staff Singer at Saint John's in the Village (September 2009-June 2014); Staff Singer at Emmanuel Episcopal Church (September 2014-June 2015); Bass section leader at St. Thomas's Episcopal Church (September 2015-June 2017). He is currently a resident of New Haven, Connecticut, where he serves since September 2018 as a staff musiciam and Bass section leader for the choir of Men and Boys and the choir of Men and Girls.at Trinity Episcopal on the Green. |
