Matthew Brook is known for his honest and open portrayal of characters whether on the opera or concert stage. He has developed a world-wide reputation for his interpretation of the music of J.S Bach and George Frederic Handel but his musical tastes stretch far beyond this, often performing new commissions, and has appeared as a soloist throughout Europe, Australia, North and South America and the Far East.
Matthew has enjoyed long collaborations with conductors including Sir Andrew Davis, Harry Bicket, Bernhard Labadie, Christophe Rousset, John Nelson, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Philippe Herreweghe, John Butt, Harry Christophers, Paul McCreesh and the late Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Roger Norrington and Richard Hickox. He has also collaborated with Richard Tognetti, Sir Mark Elder, Emmanuelle Haïm, Laurence Equilbey, Maxim Emelyanchev, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Laurence Cummings and Christian Curnyn.
In 2023 Matthew made his Opéra national de Paris debut performing the role of Il Re di Scozia in a new Robert Carsen production of Ariodante under Harry Bicket, and also his debut with Opera North in David Poutney’s “Masque of Might”, music by Purcell, conducted by Harry Bicket. He has performed roles at Staatstheater Stuttgart, Opera Comique, Göttingen International Handel Festival, The Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg and at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.
Matthew has an extensive discography resulting in many nominations and awards including several Gramophone awards for the music of Handel and Bach and a Grammy nomination for the Mozart Requiem.
This season, Matthew gives performances with RIAS Kammerkoor, Nederlandse Bachvereniging, Finnish Radio Symphony, Philharmonie Zuidnederland, and closer to home with The Sixteen, The English Concert, the Dunedin Consort, Tenebrae and Three Choirs Festival, to name a few.
This biography is for information only and should not be reproduced.
Bach St John Passion (Christ), Dunedin Consort
Mandel Hall Chicago (November 2024)
Brook was even finer. His Christ was commanding and yet warm. His solo arias “Betrachte, meine Seel” and “Eilt, ihr angefochtnen Seelen” were perhaps the most emotionally satisfying of the evening. The former was almost lullaby-like in its gentleness; the latter was thunderous.
John Y. Lawrence, Chicago Classical Review
Handel Orlando (Zoroastro), Academy of Ancient Music
Barbican (June 2024)
…the fine bass Matthew Brook
Nicholas Kenyon, Telegraph****
Matthew Brook was authoritative as Zoroastro… Attired here in a magus-like black, Zoroastro is given the opening aria (“Renounce love and follow glory!”) normally reserved for the titular hero. Brook was excellent… Handel kept back that display [coloratura] for Zoroastro’s final aria, where Brook was very impressive – magic indeed.
Roy Westbrook, Bachtrack****
As for Matthew Brook’s hands-off magician… [he] blossomed into the formidable bass acrobatics of pieces such as “Sorge infausta una procella”.
Boyd Tonkin, The Arts Desk****
Schumann Das Paradies Und Die Peri, Royal Northern Sinfonia
The Glasshouse (April 2024)
The top-notch team of soloists set the seal on a terrific collective effort… Matthew Brook’s mellifluous bass.
Simon Thompson, The Times*****
Bach St Matthew Passion (Christus), Dunedin Consort
The Queen’s Hall Edinburgh (March 2024)
Matthew Brook’s Jesus is an interpretation for the ages (as affirmed recently by David Nice in reviewing a superlative Dublin Matthew Passion). It’s hard to imagine the part more sympathetically or beautifully sung: he sang with agony in the garden and even a touch of heroism before Caiphas, and overall it’s an interpretation brimming with empathy and humanity. He brought all those qualities to deeply moving performances of the last two bass arias, too.
Simon Thompson, The Arts Desk*****
Bach St Matthew Passion (Christus), Irish Baroque Orchestra
(March 2024)
It was theatrically of a piece with the intensity of Matthew Brook – no haloed icon of a Christus, but an anguished human being also conveying the fullest emotional range, and ending with such tenderness, joy and compassion in “Mache dich, mein Herze, rein”. The emotional culmination of the epic came in his supremely powerful “Eli, Eli, lama Sabathani?
David Nice, The Arts Desk*****
CD Recording: Handel Messiah, The English Concert and John Nelson (Erato 5419774160)
(November 2023)
Bass Matthew Brook has great presence as always in his wide-ranging numbers
Lindsay Kemp, Gramophone
CD Recording: Purcell Dido and Aeneas, La Nuova Musica (Pentatone)
(September 2023)
The recording … with Fleur Barron as Dido and Matthew Brook as Aeneas…sizzles with energy.
Berta Joncus, BBC Music Magazine****
Matthew Brook’s Trojan prince is rightly portrayed not just with an air of importance but with chutzpah, which I found quite fitting given the events that follow.
Azusa Ueno, The Classical Review
Purcell Masque of Might (Sceptic, Samuel)
Opera North (October 2023)
…outstandingly stylish singing especially by … Matthew Brook as Samuel
Nicholas Kenyon, The Telegraph
It’s a smash hit… both Xavier Hetherington and Matthew Brook relished their various roles.
Melanie Eskenazi, MusicOMH
Both Matthew Brook and Andri Björn Róbertsson made strong baritone contributions in a variety of cameos.
Martin Dreyer, Opera Magazine
…profoundly moving prison scene with Hetherington and Brook using O, I'm sick of life leading to the chorus' striking rendition of Hear my prayer, O Lord.
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill
Mozart The Magic Flute (Speaker of the Temple/1st Priest/2nd Armed Man), Edinburgh International Festival
(August 2023)
Matthew Brook made a terrifically authoritative Speaker.
Simon Thompson, The Times
Matthew Brook … intoned impressively in the temple scenes
Andrew Clark, Opera Magazine
Handel Ariodante (Il Re di Scozia), Opéra national de Paris
Palais Garnier (April 2023)
... a remarkable partner in the person of bass-baritone Matthew Brook in the paternal role (the King). Through his voice, his way of inhabiting the space, it exudes royal dignity and juggles with a rich expressive palette: bonhomie, joy, touching paternal love, despair or inflexible rigor.
Georgiana Hatara, Bachtrack
Then we become acquainted with a King of Scotland of solid maturity (Matthew Brook)
Jean-Luc Clairet, ResMusica
Matthew Brook embodies a King of Scotland of great nobility, with powerfully projected bass.
Yves Jauneau, Forum Opera
The King of Scotland is performed with wise authority by bass-baritone Matthew Brook , whose timbre is justly noble.
Emmanuel Deroeux, Olyrix
Matthew Brook, in the role of the King, portrays a father who is both severe but loving, very hieratic and solemn.
Nathanaël Eskenazy, Première Loge
His father (Matthew Brook), with an impressive presence, paints a noble, jovial and human portrait of the King of Scotland. Agile (what vocalizations!), nuanced, masterful throughout its range.
Benedict Palaux Simonnet, Crescendo Magazine
Matthew Brook Concert Repertoire
| Bach | Magnificat including interpolations |
|---|---|
| JC Bach | Wie bist du den O Gott |
| Buxtehude | Jesu membra nostre |
| Beethoven | Mass in C |
| Berlioz | L’Enfance du Christ (all bass/baritone roles) |
| Blow | God spake sometime in visions |
| Blake | Benedictus |
| Brahms | Liebeslieder Waltzes |
| Britten | Cantata Misericordium |
| Burgon | The fall of Lucifer |
| Carissimi | Jephte |
| Charpentier | Caecilia Virgo |
| Dvorak | Mass in D |
| Dyson | Canterbury Pilgrims |
| Elgar | Apostles |
| Faure | Requiem |
| Finzi | In terra pax |
| Grieg | Four Psalms |
| Grier | Around the curve of the world |
| Handel | Acis and Galatea |
| Haydn | Creation |
| Howells | Requiem |
| Janacek | Glagolitic Mass |
| Joubert | The Magus |
| Kodaly | Te Deum |
| Maunder | Olivet to Calvary |
| Mendelssohn | Elijah |
| Mozart | Missa Brevis |
| Monteverdi | Vespers |
| Nielsen | Symphony No. 3 |
| Purcell | In guilty night |
| Anthony Powers | Air and Angels |
| Puccini | Messe di Gloria |
| Rameau | In convertendo |
| Rossini | Stabat Mater |
| Stainer | Crucifixion |
| Schütz | Christmas Story |
| Stravinsky | Canticum Sacrum |
| Tippett | A child of our time |
| Vaughan Williams | Benedicite |
| Walton | Belshazzar’s Feast |
Matthew Brook Opera Repertoire
| Bernstein | A Quiet Place (Young Sam) |
|---|---|
| Bizet | Carmen (Zuniga) |
| Britten | Albert Herring (Vicar) |
| Handel | Acis and Galatea (Polyphemus) |
| Janáček | Jenufa (Starek) (Mayor) |
| Menotti | Amahl and the Night Visitors (Melchior) |
| Monteverdi | L'incoronazione di Poppea (Seneca) |
| Mozart | Don Giovanni (Leporello) |
| Purcell | Dido and Aeneas (Aeneas) |
| Puccini | Tosca (Sacristan) |
| Rameau | Anacréon (Anacréon) |
| Sullivan | Trial by Jury (Counsel) |
| Tchaikovsky | Eugene Onegin (Onegin) (Zaretsky) |
| Vaughan Williams | The Pilgrim’s Progress (John Bunyan) (Lord Hategood) (Watchful)(Obstinate) and (First Shepherd) |
| Walton | Troilus and Cressida (Antenor, Calkas) |
| Weber | Der Freischütz (Kuno) |
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