Bio
Baritone and Philadelphia native, Matthew Maisano (he/they) enjoys performing a variety of repertoire ranging from opera, concert works, and art song to musical theater, the American Songbook, and pop. Known for his “sonorous baritone” (Broad Street Review) and “commanding stage presence," (Miami Herald), Matthew has sung with many local and regional opera companies. Most recently, Matthew joined Three Oaks Opera as Melchior (his fourth time singing the role) in Menotti's beloved classic, Amahl and the Night Visitors under the baton of Opera Philadelphia's Liz Braden. In December, he appeared as his drag persona, Balena Canto alongside soprano Rachel Sigman in, A Light in the Dark: A Holiday Cabaret of classical and popular music as a part of Multicultural Arts Exhange's Musika Series at the historic Glen Foerd Mansion. This past summer, Matthew made his debut with Alter Ego Chamber Opera as Melissa in a queer retelling of Handel's Alcina entitled, Alcina REVAMPED as part of the Philly Fringe Festival.
Matthew begins the 2022 season returning to Opera Philadelphia in the chorus of Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex. In February, he joins Baltimore Musicales as a soloist in Love is in the Air, a Valentines themed song recital! Later in the month, Matthew returns to A1-Entertainment in an all Johnny Mathis program along side pianist Eric Smrcka at the Timbers in Mt. Gretna, PA for Larry McKenna's Cabaret at the Timbers series.
Other performance highlights include, The Title Role in Eugene Onegin (Russian Opera Workshop), Count Almaviva in
Le Nozze di Figaro (Wilmington Concert Opera and Cleveland Institute of Music Opera Theater), Pandolfe in Cendrillon (Miami Music Festival), Senex in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Natchez Festival of Music), Morbio in Strauss'
Die schweigsame Frau, Baptista in Kiss Me, Kate! (Pittsburgh Festival Opera), Bob in The Old Maid and the Thief and First Stepsister in Martin's The True Story of Cinderella (Opera Tutti), Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus and Albert in Werther (Temple University Opera Theater), the Witch in Hansel and Gretel with Opera on Tap: Philadelphia, The Strong Man in Fox's Sid the Serpent Who Wanted to Sing (Penn Square Music Festival), Antonio in The Gondoliers (Greensboro Light Opera & Song), and in the chorus of Prokoviev's The Love For Three Oranges and Verdi's Requiem (Opera Philadelphia).
A performer of concert and sacred works, Matthew traveled to Haiti in January (2019) to perform in a collaborative concert with Trinity Episcopal Church (Swarthmore, PA), The Holy Trinity Cathedral Choir (Port-au-Prince, Haiti) and The Institution St. Louis de Gonzague (Port-au-Prince, Haiti). The concert included many sacred and Haitian choral works as well as Schubert’s Mass in G, in which Matthew was the baritone soloist. Matthew made his Kimmel Center solo debut in November, 2018 singing the bass solos in Bach’s Magnificat and Mozart’s Coronation Mass with Philadelphia’s VoxAmaDeus Ensemble. In 2017, Matthew sang Siméon in Debussy's L'enfant prodigue with Trinity Episcopal Church (Swarthmore, PA). He was also the baritone soloist in Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass at Fairmount Presbyterian Church (Cleveland Heights, OH), Bach's Cantata 140, Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit, and Schubert’s Mass in G and Mass in C at Trinity. During his time in Cleveland, Matthew performed with Case Western Reserve University’s Baroque Chamber Ensemble, Baroque Orchestra, and Collegium as a baritone soloist in Bach’s Cantata 58, Bruhn’s De Profundis, and Merula’s Credidi. He also frequently appears with The Rose Tree Pops Orchestra of Media, PA.
An avid recitalist, Matthew joins the roster of Baltimore Musicales for their 2022 season! In 2016 Matthew participated in Cleveland's famous Art Song Festival singing in a number of masterclasses and recitals. In 2013, Matthew collaborated with mezzo-soprano Anna Saurman to create and perform a program entitled Unsex me Here: A Recital Challenging Gender in Art Song performed at Temple University. That same year, he premiered The Broken Ground: Seven Poems of Wendell Berry, a song set composed by Ryan Carson at Cairn University. Matthew frequently gives recitals with soprano, Tracy Sturgis and pianist, James Smith at Trinity Episcopal Church (Swarthmore, PA) each year with programs of varied art song repertoire.
Matthew holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from The Cleveland Institute of Music (Cleveland, OH) and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Temple University (Philadelphia. PA).
Audio - Opera
Daniel Foltz-Morrison, tenor & Matthew Maisano, baritone (Penn Square Music Festival, 2019)
Art Song
Musical Theater
Pop, Et Al.
Matthew singing with The Rose Tree Pops Orchestra
Video
Upcoming Events
Mondays June 27 & July 11 & 25 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm: Opera Night at Fellini Cafe, Media RETURNS after a 2 year covid induced hiatus! Join our cast for an evening of opera/musical theater classics and some delicious Italian food! Call the restaurant for reservations!
Sunday, June 12th @ 4 pm: An Afternoon of Romantic Music features the choir of Trinity Church Swarthmore and a fine array of solo singers in songs by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Fanny Henzel and Brahms. The highlight of the concert will be Brahms' Liebeslieder Waltzes for chorus and piano four-hands. Contributions will benefit the music fund at Trinity Swarthmore. The concert is both in-person and virtual streaming here!
Past Events
Thursday, May 5th @ 7 pm Matthew makes his solo debut with the Lancaster Symphony singing Leporello in the Act II finale of Mozart's Don Giovani as well as Schlendrian in Bach's Coffee Cantata as part of LSO's Neighborhood Concert Series under the baton of Chelsea Gallo!
Friday APR 29 @ 7:30 PM: Join Matthew and the cast of Opera on Tap: Philadelia for "Go Fach Yourself - Again!" Ever wondered what a soprano aria sounds like when sung by a baritone? Or whether or not a mezzo can start as much✨drama✨ as those darn tenors? Now's your chance to find out! Come on down to Meyers Brewing to hear us get all "fached up."
3/25/22 @ 7:30 pm: Join Matthew and the cast of Opera on Tap: Philadelphia for Seeing Double: Duets and Then Song. A night out is more fun with friends! That's why this month we're focusing on duets, trios and then some! Stop by for your favorite Meyers DIPA and favorite opera ensembles! Don't take this show title literally; drink responsibly!
2/18/2022: Join Matthew and pianist Eric Smrcka as they perform songs from the Johnny Mathis Song Book! Click on the photo for details!
2/6 & 2/13/2022: Join Matthew as he makes his premiere with Baltimore Musicales as a soloist in Love is in the Air, a Valentines themed song recital! Plus, the 13th is Matthew's Birthday! Click the above photo for details and tickets!
1/21 & 1/23/2022: Matthew joins the Opera Philadelphia in the chorus for Stravinsky's Opera-Oratorio, Oedipus Rex at The Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall! Click photo for detals! Live Stream Recording Available for free here!
12/15/21: Matthew appears as Balena Canto along side soprano, Rachel Sigman and pianist, Kat Bowman, presenting a cabaret of classical and popular Holiday favorites at the historic Glen Foerd Mansion!
12/5/21: Matthew sings his 4th! Melchior in the Gian Carlo Menotti Holiday classic, Amahl and the Night Visitors presented by Three Oaks Opera under the baton of Opera Philadelphia's Liz Braden.
Reviews
The bass role of Melisso becomes Melissa—and in a further act of genderqueering, the part is essayed by Balena Canto, the drag persona of Matthew Maisano, a sonorous baritone...Canto/Maisano appears to be having a ball.
-Broad Street Review, Cameron Kelsall
"In this version Cinderella’s father Pandolfe has a large role. Matthew Maisano encompassed the serious and comic elements of the role superbly. Maisano’s dark baritone and commanding stage presence gave the role greater dimension. The tenderness of the scenes with his daughter proved one of the evening’s highlights. And his turn from harried, henpecked husband to finally standing up to his wife and Cinderella’s stepsisters, garnered approving l laughter from the audience."
-Miami Herald & South Florida Classical, Lawrence Budmen
"Aplauso especial, para Matthew Maisano como el Padre, el personaje de carácter en la obra,
que tuvo un hermoso dúo con DeLorenz./Special applause, for Matthew Maisano as the
Father, a person of character in the play, who had a beautiful duet with DeLorenz."
-el Nuevo Herald, Daniel Fernández
"The comic antics of Matthew Maisano (Morbio)...added greatly to the entertainment, both vocally and in appearance."
- Pittsburgh in the Round, George. B Parous
"Matthew Maisano made a physically imposing Count Almaviva."
-Cleveland Classical, Daniel Hathaway
Matthew Maisano joined Bergan in a duet from Massenet’s Manon...the performance of the duet was an unqualified winner...Maisano gave a forceful rendition of Count Almaviva’s aria from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.
-West Lake West Bay Village Observer, Louise Seeholzer
"The aria by the Count, sung by Matthew Maisano, is a soliloquy of sorts about his concern of how he is viewed by his servants. An aria that Bamberger said has been labeled the “greatest psychological aria in opera.” Maisano conveyed well the deep emotion of the composer’s work."
-West Lake West Bay Village Observer, Louise Seeholzer
"Matthew Maisano made an impressive ROW debut. His voice is stentorian at full-throttle - he sings Puccini's Michele - yet he can hone it to delicate soft singing...Matthew deftly conveyed Onegin's eternal boredom, peppered with superciliousness, condescension, misogyny and general lack of empathy...Matthew, a tall man, sang Onegin's famous aria, 'Когда бы жизнь домашним кругом' with a compelling sense of bel canto line, all the while literally looking down on a cringing, cowering Tatyana, dramatically ratcheting up, thereby, the lass's humiliation...At Gremin's society cotillion, where Onegin rediscovers the newly minted
Tatyana, Matthew, animated by his character's reawakened passion, made the love -
struck arioso, 'Ужель та самая Татьяна' containing an ironic reprise of the principal Letter
Scene melody, a vocal high point of the evening."
-Lew's Opera Views and Experiences in Tempo (Internet Blog), Lew Loesberg
News
12/2021: LA based designer and opera diva, Suzanne
Vinnik introduces the "Maisano" print (named after yours truly) to her stunning clothing line, by vinnik! Purchase your very own "Maisano" print before they sell out! Just click the above photos!
12/27/2021: A clip from my interview with The Empowered Musician where I talk about being able to fulfill my queer opera dreams this past summer as Melissa in Alter Ego Chamber Opera's unique and stunning production of Alcina REVAMPED! Thank you so much for the feature!
11/05/2020: Soprano and Host of Fermata Fashion, Rachel Sigman sits down with opera singer and drag performer Matthew Maisano aka Balena Canto as they discuss the intersecting worlds of opera and drag, inclusivity and growing up to be the person you were meant to be.
10/15/2018: Company Feature: Wilmington Concert Opera
Matthew appears in Modern Singer Magazine's featurette on Wilmington Concert Opera and their Fall 2018 production
of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro
05/2018: Matthew appears on LMTV's The Library Show to discuss his career in opera and classical music. The
segment begins at the 12:58 mark.
11/02/2015: "The Making of Figaro" Episode 8: Recitative
Matthew appears in the Cleveland Institute of Music's online docuseries about the institute's fall 2015 production of
Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro
10/20/2015: "The Making of Figaro" Episode 2: Meet the Cast
Matthew appears in the Cleveland Institute of Music's online docuseries about the institute's fall 2015 production of
Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro.
