Matthew Anchel
Bass Matthew Anchel, called “a voice to watch” by the Wall Street Journal, has performed with many of the world’s leading companies and orchestras. During the 2022-2023 season, Mr. Anchel joined the Lyric Opera of Chicago covering the Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlos, returned to the Metropolitan Opera to cover Loreck in Fedora and 2nd Commissioner in Dialogues des Carmélites, sang Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro at Opera San Jose, and made his Arizona Opera debut as Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, a role he also sang with Norwalk Symphony Orchestra. In the summer of 2023, he sang Escamillo in Hogfish Festival’s production of CarmXn. In 2023-2024, Mr. Anchel will begin his season singing Melisso in Alcina with St. Petersburg Opera Company and returning to the Metropolitan Opera to cover Reinmar in Tannhäuser and sing 2nd Armed Man in The Magic Flute. Mr. Anchel continues his season with Arizona Opera singing Frère Laurent in Roméo et Juliette with Arizona Opera, makes his Nashville Opera debut as Sarastro in The Magic Flute, and returns to Carnegie Hall with the Cecelia Chorus of NY to sing Petrus in Christ on the Mount of Olives.
In the 2021-2022 season, Mr. Anchel performed as the bass soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with Stiftsmusik Stuttgart, made his On Site Opera debut as Claggart in What Lies Beneath, returned to the Metropolitan Opera by making his debut singing Master of Ceremonies in Cinderella and as the Jailer in Tosca, went on for the role of Un moine in Don Carlos, and covered Schwarz in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Latinus in Lavinia, and John in Anna Kommene. He sang two oratorios by Georgia Shreve at Alice Tully Hall and made his role and house debuts as Vanuzzi in Die Schweigsame Frau at Bard Summerscape and Der Diener in The Miserly Knight with the American Symphony Orchestra.
In the fall of 2020, Mr. Anchel joined Stadttheater Giessen as Banquo in Macbeth and was slated to join Tiroler Landestheater Innsbruck in 2021 as Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte (COVID19). During both the 2018-19 and 2019-2020 seasons, Mr. Anchel has joined the ensemble of Oper Stuttgart for a number of roles, including Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Benoit in La bohème, Crespel/Luther in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, The Cook in Love of Three Oranges, and Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro. He spent the summer of 2019 at the Glyndebourne Festival, covering Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte. In recent seasons, Mr. Anchel has returned to the Metropolitan Opera, covering in new productions of The Exterminating Angel and Cendrillon. He also joined Santa Fe Opera to cover Tsar Dodon in their production of The Golden Cockerel, made his company debut with St. Petersburg Opera as Sarastro, returned to Spoleto Festival USA as Lamberto in Pia de’ Tolomei, and performed the Bass Solo in Mahler’s 8th Symphony at Carnegie Hall.
Previous seasons have included Mr. Anchel’s debut with Anchorage Opera as Sparafucile in Rigoletto, his Carnegie Hall/Stern Auditorium debut as a soloist in Haydn’s Mass in Time of War with the New England Symphonic Ensemble, Dvorak’s Stabat Mater with the St. George’s Choral Society, and his return to the Metropolitan Opera, covering the role of Trojan Man in Idomeneo, 2nd Armored Man in Die Zauberflöte, and Waiter #3 in Der Rosenkavalier. During the 2015-16 season, Mr. Anchel performed the role of #8 in Conrad Susa’s Transformations with the Merola Opera Program, was a soloist in Beethoven’s Mass in C with Spoleto Festival USA, and completed engagements with Annapolis Chorale, Savannah Voice Festival, Canterbury Chorale and American Lyric Theater. In the 2014-15 season, Mr. Anchel returned to the Metropolitan Opera for their productions of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Die Zauberflöte, and Die Meistersinger von Nurnburg, and made debuts with Opera San Antonio as First Soldier in Salome, with LOFTOpera as Don Alfonso in Lucrezia Borgia, and with the Annapolis Chorale as a soloist in Bach’s St. John Passion.
In the 2013-14 season, Mr. Anchel joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera for its productions of The Nose and Die Zauberflöte, made multiple appearance at Opera San Jose as both the Bonze in Madama Butterfly and Ferrando in Il trovatore. He performed the bass solo in Mozart’s Requiem with Allentown Symphony, and returned to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as Sarastro, a production directed and designed by Isaac Mizrahi.
In 2011 and 2012, Mr. Anchel was a member of the Ensemble of Oper Leipzig, where his performances included Zaretski in Eugene Onegin, Alaska Wolf Joe in The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, Marquis D’Obigny in La traviata, and The Police Inspector in Der Rosenkavalier, among others. Previously, he was a member of the Los Angeles Opera’s Young Artist Program, where he performed the roles of Count Ceprano in Rigoletto, and Fourth Noble in Lohengrin, both under the baton of James Conlon. He also joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic as Dr. Chausable in the world premiere of The Importance of Being Earnest.
Other performance highlights include Haraste in Troilus and Cressida and First Soldier in Salome with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Familiare in Maria di Rohan with the Caramoor Festival, and the title role in Le nozze di Figaro in his international debut with the Intermezzo Festival in Brugge, Belgium.
An accomplished veteran of the competition circuit, Mr. Anchel was a Grand Finalist in the 2013 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, won 3rd Place in the Palm Beach Opera Competition, the Judges Award from the Opera Index Competition, an Encouragement Award from the George London Foundation, and was a Finalist and an Encouragement Award winner in the Loren L. Zachary Competition
