Dvorak’s Stabat Mater
Grant Park Music Festival, Chicago
“The festival landed a most impressive “get” in tenor John Matthew Myers, who recently starred opposite Thomas Hampson and Renée Fleming in Opéra de Paris’s “Nixon in China.” He astonished from his thrilling entrance in “Stabat Mater” and kept listeners at the edge of their seats whenever he appeared, his voice a thing of poignance and power.” HANNAH EDGAR - Chicago Tribune
“The four soloists proved well-equipped to handle their assignments, as a team, with the chorus and individually. First among equals was John Matthew Myers, whose vibrant tenor has a febrile, aptly Slavic quality. In addition to his pleasing timbre, the singer consistently illuminated the text. In “Fac me vere tecum fiere” (Make me truly weep with you), Myers sensitively rendered the pleading expression of the text as surely as the spiritual confidence of the second section. He also blended gratefully with fellow soloist Olivia Boen in the duet, “Fac, ut portem Christi mortem” (Grant that I may bear the death of Christ.)” LAWRENCE A. JOHNSON - Chicago Classical Review
Adam’s Nixon in China
Opera National de Paris
“John Matthew Myers’ Mao showed a great command of Adams’ lyrical approach to politics. His voice has a particularly good and heroic upper register, with a tenor timbre that sometimes sounds more baritone. His expressivity connects Mao to characters like Peter Grimes—a link that I would not expect otherwise. He gave a sense of vocal dignity to a character the staging mocked most of the time.” – JOÃO MARCOS COPERTINO - Opera Wire
“John Matthew Myers, whose voice flourishes in beautiful and resonant high notes, knows how to find the perfect balance for his Mao oscillating between obscure philosophical protrusion and senility.” TANCRÈDE LAHARY - Forum Opera
“Thanks to the seductive timbre of tenor John Matthew Myers, we discover that the role of Mao is perfectly singable despite its demands.” LAURENT BURY - ConcertClassic.com
“The third American star was tenor John Matthew Myers, handling Mao’s tessitura with seeming ease and limning a convincing portrayal both imposing and humorous.” DAVID SHENGOLD - Classical Voice North America
“Realism is also on the side of the exceptional vocal set gathered here, where voices and bodies draw lines of diplomatic force. Those authoritarian, powerful and hard-hitting by Xiaomeng Zhang (Zhou Enlai) and John Matthew Myers (Mao Zedong) facing the voluptuousness and carnality of a perfect Renée Fleming (Pat Nixon), the warmth of the timbre and the fleeting elegance of Thomas Hamson (Richard Nixon). This quartet proves to be disturbingly similar to their perfectly believable originals – not without humour, as when Mao finds himself caught up in an energetic and demonstrative choreography in Act II.” ROMAIN DAROLES - Bachtrack
“The singers are in tune with each other: Thomas Hampson is a larger-than-life Nixon, John Matthew Myers a chilling Mao Tse-tung, while Joshua Bloom succeeds perfectly with his Henry Kissinger. And then there is the absolute star, the American soprano Renée Fleming, an elegant and radiant Pat Nixon of presence.” FLORENCE COLOMBANI - Le Point
“A dream cast…. John Matthew Myers is perfect in Mao, an imposing presence and a warm serious timbre” HÉLÈNE KUTTER - Artistik Rezo
“Thomas Hampson, a key figure of the night as Richard Nixon, gave a double vision of the character —as president and as a common man— naturally, without particular affectation; His voice, deep, virile, with a chiaroscuro tone, precisely defined the person's words in intimate dialogues with his wife and his presidential role in other situations. Renée Fleming (Pat Nixon) held up the American flag in an apparently mild diplomatic situation. The same will be said of the voices and the dramatic work —of different orientation but of great quality— of the leading Chinese couple: tenor John Matthew Myers (Mao-Tse-Tung) and soprano Kathleen Kim (Chiang-Ch'ing, his wife).” JAUME ESTAPÀ - Opera Actual
“The cast, dominated by the noble and luminous voice of Thomas Hampson, calls for nothing but praise. Thus, the prowess of the two heroines already mentioned and that of the tenor John Matthew Myers/Mao who gives confidence and height to a character who remains inaccessible” MICHÈLE TOSI - RecMusica
Puccini’s Tosca
Arizona Opera
"On the second evening (January 21) Caitlin Gotimer sang with grace and depth as Tosca, growing from hopeful young lover to Scarpia’s terrified prey to heroism on the ramparts of Castel Sant’Angelo. John Matthew Myers as Cavaradossi traced a similarly effective arc, singing with remarkable emotional depth and range.” HERBERT PAINE - Opera Magazine
Handel’s Messiah
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
“The following two numbers—“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people” and “Ev’ry valley shall be exalted”—reinforced that feeling, thanks to tenor John Matthew Myers’s commanding stage presence, ringing voice, and clear communication of the text. All four of the soloists, in fact, had strong, flexible voices…. Myers all clearly knew their parts well, and reached out to draw the audience into the emotional core of their songs.” CHUCK LAVAZZI - KDHX Classical
National Symphony Orchestra
“The NSO’s crew of soloists, all making their debuts with the orchestra, were also superb — the beautiful fullness of tenor John Matthew Myers was a special treat” MICHAEL ANDOR BRODEUR - Washington Post
Britten’s Spring Symphony
Grant Park Music Festival
“There was an excellent trio of soloists in soprano Ellie Dehn, mezzo-soprano Susan Platts and tenor John Matthew Myers…Myers, whose vocal timbre uncannily resembles that of Peter Pears, Britten’s lover and longtime muse, delivered his songs with pinpoint diction, beauty of sound and deep feeling for what the words convey.” JOHN VON RHEIN - Chicago Classical Review
Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
“The Serenade skirts the fringes of standard repertory, perhaps due to the demands it places on an orchestra and its soloists. The tenor should possess a voice of stentorian authority, but he also needs a clearly articulated, bright tone that can communicate youthful wonder….Conductor David Hayes recruited ideal partners in tenor John Matthew Myers and horn soloist John David Smith. Even singing with carefully controlled dynamics to suit the intimate acoustics of the Perelman Theater, a listener can sense the raw power of Myers’ voice; his middle voice is especially rich and supple….Myers’ sound is evenly produced and gorgeously colored throughout its range. He brought dramatic conviction to each reading, from the creeping uncertainty of the Elegy (after William Blake) to the bright and hopeful mythology of the Hymn (text by Ben Jonson). Myers’ overall performance achieved a certain dreamlike quality that suited the nighttime setting evoked by the work’s title, without growing hazy enough to eclipse its meaning or momentum.” CAMERON KELSALL - Bachtrack
Jacksonville Symphony
“Guest tenor John Matthew Myers and the Jacksonville Symphony’s own Principal Horn, Kevin Reid, met the challenges of this formidable score brilliantly. Both displayed remarkable range and control. Myers in particular is to be commended for such a convincing and uncompromising performance in spite of blatant hurdles. He had to sing not only while wearing a mask, but while also standing behind glass barriers! To be able to render such a successful performance would be difficult in the best of times, but accomplished in spite of such obvious disadvantages, it was truly remarkable.” TIMOTHY TULLER - Florida Times-Union
Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis
“Yet even with the extracurricular distractions, Carlos Kalmar, four superb soloists, and the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus delivered a powerful, keenly dramatic and deeply felt performance of Beethoven’s epic mass on this rainy night—one that embraced both the public and intimate qualities of this vast and extraordinary work….An uncommonly well-balanced quartet had much to do with the evening’s success… tenor John Matthew Myers displayed a heroic timbre and ardent singing.” LAWRENCE A. JOHNSON - Chicago Classical Review
”carefully shaped phrases from tenor John Matthew Myers.” HOWARD REICH - Chicago Tribune
“While Beethoven opted to weave the four solo voices into the larger musical fabric rather than spotlighting any of them in a featured role, his music for the quartet is radiant, exposed and formidable. It’s all too easy to sink a production of the Missa Solemnis by assigning the quartet duties to singers who can’t handle the deceptive workload. Kalmar brought together a sterling matched set of strong young voices in soprano Maeve Höglund, mezzo-soprano Siena Licht Miller, tenor John Matthew Myers and bass-baritone Michael Sumuel.” LAWRENCE A. JOHNSON - Chicago On The Aisle
Dvorak’s Rusalka
“Let’s start with the positives—especially, two really terrific assumptions: Alice Chung as Jezibaba and John Matthew Myers as the Prince….Myers possesses a plangent, substantial tenor, appealingly vibrant and with a sense of considerable power in reserve, and an ardent stage presence. Expect Walther von Stolzings, Siegmunds, and similar heroic roles in his future.” DAVID FOX - Parterre/RecliningStandards.org
“Tenor John Matthew Myers brings virile energy to the prince Rusalka loves, with ringing top notes and not a trace of strain.” CAMERON KELSALL - Broad Street Review
“Not so surprising was the excellence of tenor John Matthew Myers as the Prince who loves and then betrays Rusalka. He has progressed nicely in his three years at AVA, as we witnessed when he was a superb Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos. He has heldentenor quality, and also an exceptionally warm intimacy and vulnerability. In the final scene, as he dies in Rusalka’s arms, we heard a lovely crooning delivery which reminded me of his sound as Eisenstein in Fledermaus by Concert Operetta Theater in 2015 when I first saw him perform.” STEVE COHEN - The Cultural Critic
“Tenor John Matthews Myers sang beautifully as the Prince who is the object of Rusalka’s romantic aspirations. His voice rang out with clarion brilliance, yet he, too, was able to sustain his soft singing with admirable lyricism.” MICHAEL CARUSO - Chestnut Hill Local
Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos
"Bacchus is a famously difficult role, nearly impossible to make graceful either vocally or theatrically—but John Matthew Myers brought considerable power and ring to the line, coped with its fearsomely high attacks, and found more dynamic variety than many famous tenors have." DAVID FOX - Philadelphia Magazine
"Vocally, the production shows the strengths of AVA’s current crop of resident artists....John Matthew Myers brings an impressive amount of lyricism to the short but punishing role of Bacchus. In the Prologue, both act with appropriate hauteur as the opera company’s tempestuous prima donna and star tenor." CAMERON KELSHALL - Broad Street Review
“John Matthew Myers coped manfully and better than many established Heldentenors with its impossible tessitura, finding some lyricism in the mix. “ DAVID SHENGOLD - Opera News
Concert of Arias
"Myers also possesses a voice of vocal grandeur. He really soared in “Odio solo” from Verdi’s “I Due Foscari,” mixing strength and tenderness, and with the uncanny ability to sing softly without losing a trace of clarity. Federico’s Lament from Cilea’s “L’Arlesiana,” rarely heard these days, was an absolute joy, sung with purity and conviction." STEVE SIEGEL - The Morning Call
Britten's War Requiem
"His tenor was considerably more plangent and less austere than that of Peter Pears, the role's creator, or Pears's latter-day avatar Ian Bostridge, and he was especiallly effective in soft singing." FRED COHN - Opera News
"The Owen poems were sung with a blend of poignancy and grim honesty by the warm lyric tenor John Matthew Myers..." ANTHONY TOMMASINI - New York Times
"Tenor John Matthew Myers sang with a plaintive, clear and warm timbre" - Oberon's Grove
Adams' Nixon in China
"Vocally, Nixon in China was a resounding success. All of the principals flourished...the magnificent John Matthew Myers, a late replacement to the production, was impressively nonchalant about his ridiculous range as Mao." TONY FRANKEL - Stage and Cinema
"Tenor John Matthew Myers’ Mao Tse-tung was brightly lighted to match his declaiming voice." RICHARD S. GINELL - Los Angeles Times
Rubinstein's The Demon
"John Matthew Myers unfurled a lovely, warm tenor of considerable promise in Sinodal’s sometime melismatic music." DAVID SHENGOLD - Opera News
"John Matthew Myers played Tamara’s betrothed sympathetically, with a strong yet tender voice." STEVE COHEN - Broad Street Review
Apprentice Showcase Scenes
"On a more serious note was the famous duet from Bizet's Les pêcheurs de perles in which Nadir and Zurga express their rivalry. Tenor John Matthew Myers gave a well-modulated performance that harmonized beautifully with baritone Jorell Williams, from whom we have never heard a performance less than first-rate. The French diction was truly excellent. A real audience-pleaser that "Au fond du temple saint"! Never fails--two gorgeous male voices and the audience swoons. As we did."
MECHE KROOP - Voce di meche
Verdi's La Traviata
"As Alfredo, John Matthew Myers’ tenor was as smooth and rich as butter, a good fit for a romantic lead." REBECCA SEDLAK - Coast Weekend
Gordon's Van Gogh/Copeland's Tell Tale Heart
"gorgeous-voiced tenor John Matthew Myers...the letter-singing/reciting trio of Ashley Knight, John Matthew Myers, and Jason Switzer brought great pleasure musically" DAVID GREGSON - Opera West
"For Van Gogh, he assembled three compelling singers in soprano Ashley Knight, tenor John Matthew Myers and bass Jason Switzer" MARK SWED - Los Angeles Times
"John Matthew Myers, the tenor in the group, was equally strong as a singer, as well as an actor. The pain of a tortured mind was clear across his face, as well as in his voice....Myers also returned, playing both a skittish, nerdy neighbor and one of the police officers who show up to investigate the victim’s screams. This time, we get to see more of his comedic side as he fends off the party girls as the neighbor and nonchalantly chomps donuts as the cop." BRENNA SMITH - Edge Los Angeles
"The singers, three of whom performed in both operas, were uniformly strong and committed...John Matthew Myers’ sweetly ringing tenor was luxury casting for his roles." MICHAEL VAN DUZER - Stage Happenings
"Additionally, John Matthew Myer’s clear tenor voice is a pleasing respite to the unnerving displays to which we are treated" BEN MILES - Beach Comber
“Myers….with his cherub-like voice…” BONDO WYSZPOLSKI – Easy Reader
"Ashley Knight, Danielle Bond, John Matthew Myers and Jason Switzer formed a quartet of distinct personalities, convincing acting and terrific voices." JIM RUGGIRELLO - Gazettes
An Evening with Ricky Ian Gordon
"On Monday, Ricky Ian Gordon, another exciting American composer, presented his recent songs at Cliburn at the Modern. The pieces were exquisitely performed by four marvelous college-age singers -- soprano Elizabeth Zharoff; mezzo Naomi O'Connell; tenor John Myers and baritone Geoffrey Sirett. Each gave insightful and beautifully nuanced performances.
On Pont Mirabeau, Myers' expansive tenor expressed pathos and hope. O'Connell sang the intense poems of Late Afternoon with a silky voice and phrases ripe with color." CHRIS SHULL - Star-Telegram
Faure's Penelope
"Among the suitors, John Matthew Myers brought a mellow, Hylas-worthy tenor to the (relatively) sensitive Antinoiis" DAVID SHENGOLD - Opera Magazine
"Fastidious preparation seems to have paid off handsomely, even in the supporting roles, which were delivered with expressive confidence and solid vocal skill. Victoria Vargas as the nurse Euryclée, Robert E. Mellon (Eumée), John Matthew Myers (Antinoüs) and Joo Won Kang (Eurymaque) were especially fine. There were no weak links." DAVID J. BAKER - Opera News