“Power, intensity, sweetness, sensuality, skillfully distilled diction, intelligence of style, nobility of feelings: the French Tenor…is simply stunning.” – Le Monde
“He could not have a more sensitive, understanding partner at the piano. A stroke of good fortune.” – Die Presse
Artists
Benjamin Bernheim, tenor
Carrie-Ann Matheson, piano
Program
| DUPARC | L’invitation au voyage |
| Chanson triste | |
| Phidylé | |
| CHAUSSON | Poème de l’amour et de la mer |
| MOMPOU | Damunt de tu només les flors |
| TURINA | Los dos miedos |
| GINASTERA | Canción al arbol del olvido |
| PUCCINI | Mentìa l’avviso |
| Terra e mare | |
| Sole e amore | |
| TRENET | Douce France |
| KOSMA | Les feuilles mortes |
| BREL | Quand on n’a que l’amour |
Artists Biographies
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM, piano
French tenor Benjamin Bernheim is a regular guest artist at the world’s leading opera houses, including the Opéra national de Paris, the Metropolitan Opera, Wiener Staatsoper, Staatsoper Berlin, Teatro alla Scala, and the Royal Opera House in London where he performs leading tenor roles from the romantic repertoire, and specializes in French repertoire. Garnering high praise with both his performances and recordings, he has been hailed as “The most beautiful tenor voice since Luciano Pavarotti” by the Süddeutsche Zeitung, and “the new star tenor” by Diapason. After delivering a spine-tingling performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic closing ceremony, Mr. Bernheim released his first solo song album Douce France: Mélodies & Chansons. Inspired by his long study and experience of French song, Bernheim imaginatively couples the famous 19th-century melodies of Berlioz, Chausson and Duparc with the classic 20th-century chansons by Brel, Kosma and Trenet. The same year, he was named “Male Singer of the Year” by the International Opera Awards.
At the start of the season, Mr. Bernheim returns to the Metropolitan Opera as the titular role in Les Contes d’Hoffmann. Benjamin then takes to the concert stage where he performs alongside pianists Carrie-Ann Matheson and Hélio Vida at the Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré, LA Opera, Wiener Konzerthaus, Rudolfinum and Palais Garnier. He begins the new year with additional recitals at the Prinzregententheater and Opéra de Monte-Carlo, before performing his lauded interpretation of the title role in Werther at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. Mr. Bernheim then performs his highly acclaimed Roméo in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at Wiener Staatsoper. His season concludes with a triumphant return to the Opéra national de Paris for Manon.
Previous highlights include the title role in Les contes d’Hoffmann at the Staatsoper Hamburg, Faust (title role) at the Opéra national de Paris, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Théâtre des Champs Elysées, and at the Latvian National Opera, Rodolfo in La bohème at the Opéra national de Paris, Opernhaus Zürich, Royal Opera House (London), Staatsoper Berlin, and Wiener Staatsoper, Des Grieux in Manon at the Opéra national de Paris, Staatsoper Hamburg and Opéra national de Bordeaux, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor at the Opernhaus Zürich, the Wiener Staatsoper and Salzburger Festspiele, Duca di Mantova in Rigoletto at the Bayerische Staatsoper, the Wiener Staatsoper, the Metropolitan Opera and the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Lensky in Eugene Onegin atDeutsche OperBerlin and Opernhaus Zürich, Alfredo in La traviata at the Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera House (London), Opernhaus Zürich, Semperoper Dresden, Deutsche Oper, Opéra national de Bordeaux and the Staatsoper Berlin, the title role in Werther at the Opéra national de Bordeaux, Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore at the Wiener Staatsoper, and Roméo in Roméo et Juliette at the Opernhaus Zürich, Opéra national de Paris, and with the Orchestre de chambre de Genève.
On the concert stage, he has performed recitals at the Salzburg Festival, Opéra national de Bordeaux, La Grange au Lac in Evian, Opernhaus Zürich, Verbier Festival, Opéra national du Rhin, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Philharmonie de Luxembourg, the Wiener Konzerthaus, Théâtre du Capitole, Opéra national de Bordeaux, Oper Frankfurt, Munich Opera Festival, andat the Gulbenkian Orchestra Main Hall. In addition to his recital repertoire, he has performed Verdi’s Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elias, and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria. www.benjaminbernheim.com
CARRIE-ANN MATHESON, piano
Carrie-Ann Matheson has a multi-faceted international career as a pianist, conductor and educator. She is currently the Artistic Director of the world-renowned San Francisco Opera Center and Merola Opera Program. A native of Canada, Matheson began her career at the Metropolitan Opera, working as assistant conductor, prompter, pianist and vocal coach. Following a long tenure at the Met, she joined the conducting and coaching staff at Opernhaus Zurich, and also worked at festivals such as the Salzburger Festspiele and the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival.
Especially in demand as a recital pianist, her collaborations have brought her to the great stages of the world with many of the world’s leading opera singers, including Piotr Beczała, Benjamin Bernheim, Diana Damrau, Joyce DiDonato, Jonas Kaufmann and Rolando Villazón. Her debut CD “Douce France” with tenor Benjamin Bernheim was recently released on the prestigious Deutsche Grammophone label.
Ms. Matheson is passionate about nurturing the next generation of opera singers and pianists, and in addition to her work in San Francisco, she is a masterclass clinician and guest coach at leading institutions worldwide. Her collaborations have included the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, International Opera Studio (Opernhaus Zürich), Opernstudio of the Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera), Atkins Young Artist Program (The Mariinsky Theatre), Lindemann Young Artist Development Program (The Metropolitan Opera), Ryan Opera Center (Lyric Opera of Chicago), Music Academy of the West, Aspen Music Festival and the International Vocal Arts Institute. She is currently also a member of the faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Ms. Matheson assisted such conductors as James Levine, Fabio Luisi, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, and Gianandrea Noseda, before making her conducting debut in 2015 at Opernhaus Zürich, where she has conducted works such as La Finta Giardiniera, Don Pasquale and Iphigénie en Tauride, among others. In addition to her work with opera singers, she has performed in chamber music concerts with members of the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and Philharmonia Zürich.
She has served as juror for competitions including the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition, the Butler International Vocal Competition, the Wirth Prize, the Schmidt Vocal Arts Competition and the Richard Tucker Foundation Auditions.
Recent and upcoming engagements for Ms. Matheson include recitals at prestigious venues across the world, including Teatro alla Scala (Milan Italy), Teatro Colon (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Carnegie Hall (New York City), Alice Tully Hall (New York City), The Kennedy Center (Washington, DC), the Munich Opera Summer Festival (Munich, Germany), the Verbier Festival (Verbier, Switzerland), the Vienna State Opera (Vienna, Austria), Opéra de Paris (Paris, France) and Opera de Monte-Carlo (Monaco), among others.
Ms. Matheson holds degrees from the University of Prince Edward Island (B.Mus.Ed), the Cleveland Institute of Music (M.Mus in Collaborative Piano), the Manhattan School of Music (Professional Studies Diploma in Vocal Accompanying) and is an alumna of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.
In addition to her work onstage and in the opera rehearsal room, Ms. Matheson is an International Coaching Federation certified personal and leadership coach, specializing in working with artists who are striving to achieve their full potential.