Peter Mattei

Biography

Musical America’s 2020 Vocalist of the year, renowned Swedish baritone Peter Mattei will the season of 2023/24 sing the title roles of Don Giovanni at the Opéra National de Paris and Wozzeck at the Bayerische Staatsoper. Peter will also appear at the Royal Swedish Opera as Amfortas in Parsifal. The previous season included Rodrigo in Don Carlo and in the title role in a new production of Don Giovanni, both at the Metropolitan Opera.

Peter Mattei’s international breakthrough came with the title role in Peter Brook’s staging of Don Giovanni at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 1998 and he has since then had the privilege to work with many of the worlds’ foremost conductors and directors on stages across Europe and in the U.S.

Peter Mattei has been a frequent guest at the Metropolitan Opera, where he has been seen in roles such as Amfortas in Parsifal, Wolfram in Tannhäuser, the title role of Eugen Onegin, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Il Conte in Le nozze di Figaro, Marcello in La Bohème, Yeletsky in Pique Dame, Shishkov in From the House of the Dead and in 2020, he made his much-acclaimed role debut in the title role in Wozzeck. Some of Peter Mattei's other roles include Billy Budd (Oper Frankfurt and the Göteborg Opera) and Don Fernando in Fidelio (Teatro alla Scala).

With one of his favorite roles, Don Giovanni, Peter Mattei has had the pleasure to work with directors such as Peter Brook and Michael Haneke. He has delighted audiences at Opéra National de Paris, the Royal Opera House in London, Teatro alla Scala, Wiener Staatsoper, Bayerische Staatsoper, Opernhaus Zürich, Palau de les Arts Valencia, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Semperoper Dresden, the Royal Swedish Opera and the Norwegian Opera as well as the prestigious festivals of Salzburg, Verbier, Aix-en-Provence, Lucerne and Tanglewood.

His discography includes DVDs of Don Giovanni (Aix-en Provence), Le nozze di Figaro (Opéra National de Paris), Eugene Onegin (Salzburg) and Parsifal (Metropolitan) and CDs of Mahler’s 8:th Symphony under the baton of Chailly, Berlioz’ Les Troyens with Sir Colin Davis (winner of two Grammy Awards), Fidelio with Abbado as well solo CDs such as Once in My Life (Naxos), Great Baritone Arias, Schubert’s Winterreise (BIS Records) and most recently the recording of Allan Pettersson’s Complete Songs (BIS Records).

Peter Mattei studied at the Royal Academy of Music and at the University College of Opera in Stockholm. He made his debut in 1990 as Nardo in Mozart's La Finta Giardiniera at the Drottningholm Court Theatre and made a sensational Royal Swedish Opera debut as Pentheus in Daniel Börtz' The Bacchae (directed by Ingmar Bergman) in 1991.

Peter Mattei is appointed Court Singer and has been awarded the medal Litteris et Artibus by H.M. the Swedish King for his outstanding achievements as an artist.

November 2023

Co-owner and Artist Manager

Elisabeth Haglund

Voices from the Press

“Baritone Peter Mattei, in his role debut as Wozzeck, sang every note with ravishing tone and a Lieder expert’s sense of proportion.” – Wozzeck/Metropolitan Opera

James Jorden/Observer - December 30 2019

“In the title role, Mattei had a vocal magnitude that gave Wozzeck tragic stature that’s hard to come by in a character who is a psychological time bomb.” - Wozzeck/Metropolitan Opera

David Patrick Stearns/The Philadelphia Inquirer – December 28 2019

“Peter Mattei can seemingly thrive in just about any lead role, and his Giovanni is one of his best creations—charismatic and repulsive, energetic and pathetic. His rich, firm baritone can tackle the dynamic thrill of the champagne aria, but sounds just as at home in the seductive melody of “Deh vieni a la finestra,” with a legato voice like molten chocolate. Even the recitatives come to life in Mattei’s performance, as he gives them color and precise intention. He is a treasure onstage, no matter what he’s singing.”

Eric C. Simpson/New York Classical review – April 05 2019

“Surely the centerpiece of this performance, though, is Peter Mattei as the tormented Grail King Amfortas. It is this character’s moral failing (and his subsequent tortured and unending remorse) that drives this story, and, strangely enough, the sheer sensual beauty of Mattei’s baritone made the tragedy almost unbearably touching. Even his wildest screams of pain never turned ugly, communicating the insight that even the most abased of creatures is still human, still cherishable.

Mattei’s performance, one of the strongest I’ve ever seen in the theater…” Amfortas/Parsifal/Metroplitan Opera

James Jorden/Observer – June 02 2018

“Mattei must be a contender for the most beautiful baritone voice. His is such a handsome, noble sound, with honeyed delivery of long phrases. His Onegin is arrogant and thoughtless; when he pulls up a chair before delivering his rejection to Tatyana, it is not for her, but for him to rest his coat upon.” – Eugen Onegin/National Opéra de Paris

Mark Pullinger/Backtrack - May 17 2017

"Finally, we can only bow to Peter Mattei’s Šiškov, a poignant and extraordinary performer full of musicality. His story in the last act, led by a virile, powerful and large voice, is tense and captivating from beginning to end. – Šiškov/From the House of the Dead/National Opéra de Paris"

Par Laurent Amourette/Classic Agenda - November 21 2017

“The rich beauty of Mattei’s baritone was audible right from the start of “Gute Nacht,” booming out with an instrument of burgundy color and full body, but also smooth and flexible, with the slightest hint of smoke. On the last verse he flashed a pianissimo without losing any of his tone or focus. Mattei is the rare singer who has both a rich, burning chest voice and a vibrant top, and is able to achieve a full range of dynamic expression and color on every note in between.” – Winterreise/Carnegie Hall