About Matthew Tomko

Matthew began his singing career whilst being a student at the Church Conservatory of Music in Bratislava, Slovakia with teacher Frantisek Malatinec (trained by Anna Hrusovska-Prosencova who was also a teacher of famous Lucia Popp) and shortly after he had graduated from his 6-year studies Matthew has been quickly gaining recognition as an artist of exceptional expressivity in both operatic and concert field covering an extensive repertoire. From 2006-2011 Matthew was a principal soloist at the State Theatre in Kosice, Slovakia where he sang the roles such as Sarastro in The Magic Flute, Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin, Captain Zuniga in Carmen, Masetto in Don Giovanni and many others. Matthew also regularly performed with the Kosice Opera House in Fertőrákos (Kroisbach) Cave Theater in Hungary, including some world premieres of new operas. Since August 2012 Matthew has been touring with Co-Opera Co. in the UK singing the role of Sarastro and Speaker in Magic Flute and the role of Commendatore in Don Giovanni.

The gift of imperfect perfection

Im tiefen Keller

Have you ever been in a situation where you couldn’t decide whether you like the brilliant polished studio recording or the live rendition of the piece with a flaw here and there more? I bet you have. I think we all have been there from time to time.

While new to the classical music everyone gets the recordings of Pavarotti’s Nessun dorma and excitement gives them goosebumps with the graduation of those colorful phrases and bursts out completely with the final “Vincero!”.
This can apply to any artist you love to listen to whether he or she is a singer, piano, double bass or a french horn player. We are lucky enough to have the opportunity to listen to the recordings any time we are in the mood, any time we need to.

 But the excitement of the live performance or concert is just unbelievable. Emotions run through you, no matter how deep, if it is just the singing of a brook or roaring of the sea it has this secret ingredient – life. Passing moments so precious, that on the end it is more valuable than gold and diamonds.

 Some time in October I sang one old german drinking song during the German song class and with the help of our teacher Richard I tried to bring life to this work in progress. The reaction of my class mates was unbelievable. We all had such a great time and our mood went up to the sky. Well, listen to the recording yourself.

 I wish to all of you and your families Happy, blessed, creative, energetic and peaceful New Year!

Im tiefen Keller – Matthew Tomko with Richard Jackson

Im tiefen Keller sitz’ ich hier – original lyrics and translation

 

Music space and time travel?

Johann Sebastian Bach said: “Music is an agreeable harmony for the honor of God and the permissible delights of the soul.”

I’ve attended the rehearsal for my Sunday’s concert just yesterday evening and after that I was invited to listen to another rehearsal where my new friends played Bach – 2 flutes accompanied by a harpsichord. What a lovely and refreshing music it was as it always is! It sounded like two chirping birds chasing each other above the bickering stream of a mountain river on a hot and sunny afternoon. It was just beautiful and when I closed my eyes I could see myself sitting in Rivendell on the rock next to the river and smell the pine trees around me.

People have always been trying to find the means of time and space travel and it is still considered to be science fiction. But is it not the music like Johann Sebastian Bach’s exactly what we are looking for?

Happy birthday Giuseppe Verdi!

Today would be Giuseppe Verdi’s 199th birthday. His melodies are probably the most popular in the world of classical music and, well, all around the world. If you ask somebody on the street if he knows any operatic aria, one of a few possible responses would be “La donna e mobile” (Woman is fickle), which is the Duke of Mantua’s canzone from the beginning of act 3 of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Rigoletto (1851). The inherent irony is that it is the callous playboy Duke himself who is mobile (“inconstant”).

The canzone is famous as a showcase for tenors. Raffaele Mirate’s performance of the bravura aria at the opera’s 1851 premiere was hailed as the highlight of the evening. Before its first public performance (in Venice), it was rehearsed under tight secrecy: a necessary precaution, because it proved to be catchy and soon after its first public performance every gondolier in Venice was singing it.

Well that was Rigoletto. What is your favorite Verdi opera or aria?