Matthew Polenzani Brightens My Day

Liszt, Songs, Vol. 1, M. Polenzani, J. Drake (Hyperion, 2010)

Charles T. Downey, Polenzani’s singing and Drake’s piano playing create engaging performance (Washington Post, January 16, 2015)

At the end of a bad day, the combination of music and poetry in a well-executed song recital can lift one’s spirits like few other experiences.

The performance by Matthew Polenzani, presented on Wednesday night in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater by Vocal Arts DC, was one such event. The American tenor, most familiar from his many appearances with the Metropolitan Opera, may not have the most innately beautiful voice, but his striking program with English pianist Julius Drake tickled both mind and ear... [Continue reading]

Matthew Polenzani (tenor) and Julius Drake (piano)
Vocal Arts D.C.
Music by Beethoven, Liszt, Ravel, Satie, and Barber
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater