Role debut as Macduff

Parterre

He’s got a buttery, rich, smooth tenor that never veers into too-nasal, and an incredible way of delivering full voiced high notes with grace and ease, letting the sound pour out like hot caramel.

“The other stand-out of the night was Matthew Polenzani’s Macduff, whose “Ah, la paterna mano,” felt like the cool side of the pillow on a stifling night. He’s got a buttery, rich, smooth tenor that never veers into too-nasal, and an incredible way of delivering full voiced high notes with grace and ease, letting the sound pour out like hot caramel.

It’s a generous voice, both in size and in emotional power. Macduff’s grief at the death of his wife and children was beautifully underplayed, with Polenzani staying almost perfectly still for most of the aria, letting his voice do the work. It was mesmerizing stuff, and I wanted to go back and replace every chorus scene with this aria.”

Parterre

“Mr. Polenzani brought anguished fervor to Macduff’s intense Act IV aria when he learns that his wife and children have been killed.”

The New York Times

“Tenor Matthew Polenzani gave a splendid performance as a dignified, warm-hearted Macduff. There was a bit of a cloud on his voice opening night, but he still showed bright vocal energy and exceptional musical sensitivity in his singing. His Act IV aria, “Ah, la paterna mano,” a moving tribute to his murdered wife and children, was the evening’s most emotionally subtle moment.”

New York Classical Review

“Matthew Polenzani makes an eloquent Macduff”

Financial Times