Matthew Polenzani will make his LA Opera debut as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. One of the most gifted and distinguished lyric tenors of his generation, he has been praised for the artistic versatility and fresh lyricism that he brings to concert and operatic appearances on leading international stages. Recognized as the 2004 Richard Tucker Award winner, Mr. Polenzani appears at the Metropolitan Opera during the 2007-08 season in performances of La Traviata, opposite Renée Fleming, in the title role of Roméo et Juliette, opposite Anna Netrebko, and in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, opposite Diana Damrau. His commitments outside New York include productions of La Traviata at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, also with Ms. Fleming, I Capuleti e I Montecchi at the Paris Opera, again with Ms. Netrebko, Lucia di Lammermoor at the Teatro San Carlo of Naples, Rigoletto at the Opera Company of Philadelphia, and his Salzburg Festival operatic debut as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni. Concert appearances include Rossini's Stabat Mater with the Orchestre National de France under Jésus Lopez Cobos, and solo recitals with collaborative pianist Julius Drake, under the auspices of Lincoln Center and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society.

In the past season the artist sang Metropolitan Opera performances of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Die Zauberflöte, both under the baton of James Levine, as well as the title role of Roméo et Juliette at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Lucia di Lammermoor at the Opéra Bastille, L'Elisir d'amore and Don Giovanni at the Vienna Staatsoper, and Così fan tutte with Sir Colin Davis for his debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. His numerous concert performances included appearances with James Levine and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Franz Welser-Möst and the Cleveland Orchestra, and with Riccardo Muti and the Orchestra Giovanile "L. Cherubini" at the Salzburg Whitsun Festival.

Among the many highlights from recent Metropolitan Opera seasons were the premieres of Julie Taymor's production of Die Zauberflöte, Francesca Zambello's production of Les Troyens (both with Levine), Marthe Keller's production of Don Giovanni with Sir Andrew Davis, Jürgen Flimm's production of Salome with Valery Gergiev, as well as revivals of Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Così fan tutte, Falstaff, and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. He also has bowed in L'Elisir d'amore at the Teatro San Carlo and Rome Opera; Il Barbiere di Siviglia at San Francisco Opera, New York City Opera, and Bayerische Staatsoper; Il Turco in Italia for the Rossini Festival of Pesaro; La Traviata at the Aix en Provence Festival and at the Teatro Comunale di Firenze; Lucia di Lammermoor at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari; Così fan tutte at Seattle Opera, Don Giovanni with Antonio Pappano and the Orchestra della Santa Cecilia; Lakmé and Roméo et Juliette with Opéra de Bordeaux; and Rigoletto with Daniel Oren and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

Mr. Polenzani has been acclaimed in symphonic appearances with Lorin Maazel and the New York Philharmonic, Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, Pierre Boulez and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch and the Orchestra della Santa Cecilia, James Levine and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, James Conlon and the Cincinnati Symphony, Louis Langrée and the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Sir Jeffrey Tate and the Minnesota Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and David Zinman and the Aspen Festival Orchestra, among others. He has presented Janácek's The Diary of One Who Vanished at Zankel Hall with pianist Richard Goode, and, in a single recent season, he was honored to appear on all three stages of Carnegie Hall: with the MET Chamber Ensemble at Zankel Hall; in solo recital with pianist James Levine at Weill Hall; and in a Schubert Liederabend on the stage of Isaac Stern Auditorium.