Click here to explore Matt's work as a bass.
Recognized by the San Francisco Classical Voice for music that "harnesses considerable expressive power," Matt Boehler is a composer inspired by the limitless possibilities of the theater.
His first evening-length chamber opera, Fat Pig, premiered with Victory Hall Opera in January 2022, with a libretto by Miriam Gordon-Stewart. A moving drama wearing the disguise of a 90s office rom-com, the opera inspired enthusiastic audience acclaim and was hailed by Opera Magazine as "impressive and captivating." The premiere cast was led by lauded dramatic soprano and fat-activist Tracy Cox creating the role of Helen, the first operatic role written explicitly for a plus-size performer as a romantic lead. The opera’s social media imprint exploded during its online streaming period and prompted impressive praise from industry titans like librettist Mark Campbell, calling the piece “a beautiful, powerful moving opera—one that should be produced by every company in the country looking for more intimate works.”
The 2022 season also brought Matt a string of important song commissions. His works for mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and tenor David Portillo were lauded by Opera News as "accomplished" and "fresh and vital." Portillo premiered "Fruit of the Flower" on his debut recital with Vocal Arts DC, and Cooke premiered "Risk Not One" in recital as part of the San Francisco Symphony’s Great Performers series, as well as recording the song for her 2022 GRAMMY-nominated album, how do I find you. Tenor Daniel Shirley also recently premiered a setting of Housman's "Think no more, lad" as part of his New Voices from Shropshire recording project.
Other recent commissions include the opera 75 Miles for Washington National Opera’s American Opera Initiative, as well as works for Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine (NYC), and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He is a grant recipient from the San Francisco Arts Commission, and his song cycle, Foursquare Cathedral, garnered awards from the Music Publishers Association, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), winning first prize in their Art Song Composition Competition.
A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, he is now based in San Francisco. He trained as an actor at Viterbo College, an opera singer at the Juilliard School, and as a composer at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
