Matthew Palmer studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Robert Dean. As a soloist he has performed at the Oxford Lieder Festival, LSO St. Luke’s, Milton Court and many other concert halls and cathedrals around the UK, as well as live on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune. He has worked closely with Iain Burnside on the premiere and revival of his music-drama 'Why Does The Queen Die?' and has also worked on sections of Winterreise with Graham Johnson. Matthew has been privileged to work with Brindley Sherratt, Emma Kirkby, Malcolm Martineau, Chen Reiss and Jonathan Papp in Masterclasses.
On the opera stage Matthew has performed roles including Demetrius (Midsummer Night’s Dream); Guglielmo (Così fan tutte); Schaunard (La bohème); Belcore (The Elixir of Love); Papageno (The Magic Flute), Gil (Susanna’s Secret); Dancairo (Carmen); Masetto (Don Giovanni); Marullo (Rigoletto); and Fiorello/Uffiziale (The Barber of Seville). He has also covered the following roles for the Guildhall Opera School Darlemont (I Pazzi per Progetto); Title role (The Cooper); and Owl Doctor (The Adventures of Pinocchio).
Since leaving the Guildhall in 2015 Matthew covered Abimélech (Samson et Dalila) and Benoit/Alcindoro for Grange Park Opera as well as being a part of their chorus. He then toured the country with the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company singing Carpnter (HMS Pinafore) and cover Pooh-Bah (Mikado) and Colonel (Patience). Matthew is currently working with Opera North in Andrea Chenier and combines his commitments as a soloist in opera and concert with work in opera choruses.
In concert Matthew has sung Baritone solos in St. Matthew Passion (Bach); Messiah (Handel); Christ in Passio (Pärt); Requiem (Fauré); Requiem and Coronation Mass (Mozart); Ein Deutsches Requiem (Brahms); Five Mystical Songs (Vaughan-Williams); Messa di Gloria (Puccini); Nelson and St. Nocholas Masses (Haydn); Crucixion (Stainer); Messe Solennelle (Gounod); Oratorio de Noël (Saint-Saëns); Te Deum (Charpentier) and other lesser known works, including premieres of contemporary composers work.
Future plans include Lorenzo (I Capuleti e I Montecchi), Pop-Up Opera; Masetto (Don Giovanni), Heritage Opera; Garsington Opera chorus; Guglielmo (Così fan tutte), Brigitta Festival, Estonia.
Richard Leach is a Shinn Fellow in Piano Accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music; he has worked with Royal Academy Opera as Assistant Conductor for Le Nozze di Figaro and Suor Angelica and will co-conduct the cover performance of L’Incoronazione di Poppea in May 2016; he was also the Chorus Master for May Night and Ariodante and has been a répétiteur for all of RAO’s productions since Autumn 2012. He was the Assistant Conductor for the Woodhouse Festival 2014 (Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci, Die Zauberflöte) and has worked occasionally with Blackheath Halls Opera and Shadwell Opera as well as OSJ Voices and the London Bach Choir; he is the regular accompanist for Streatham Choral Society and is Organist of Ealing Abbey Choir. He has worked with a number of conductors including Jane Glover, Peter Robinson, Gareth Hancock, Julian Reynolds and Nicholas Jenkins and has played for masterclasses with Roger Vignoles, Susan Bullock and Simon Keenlyside. As a song recitalist he has performed at the Holywell Music Room, Charlton House and other venues. Richard studied at Oxford and the Royal Academy of Music.
Free recital (retiring collection)