Biography

What has led to this phenomenon that is Matthew Overmeyer?

Matthew Overmeyer was born in Cape Town South Africa. He began his opera training as a tenor in 1995, when he was discovered by Magdalena Oosthuizen He studied under the guidance of some of South Africa’s finest musical and elite mentors, some of which include Prof Virginia Davids and Prof Angelo Gobbato.

Matthew, has been making waves in South Africa and also Internationally since he started singing professionally in 2002 ( would you believe he was a chemical analyst before that?)

He believes you were either born to sing or not, and no amount of training will alter that. And he was born to sing! But it was only through the encouragement of others that he took the plunge.

He started in the church choir and, at the age of 11 or 12, when his voice broke he started out as a bass. But the real change came at the age of 14.

“I listened to a scratchy old LP of Mario Lanza,” “And from that day I was different from all my peers.” There is still an aria off this album that stands him in good stead today – an audition show piece that “has never failed me”.

But that was the early days. It was performances at the Karoo Fest and the encouragement of many Cape voice luminaries that made him consider the professional route. “I was my own worst enemy,” he admits modestly. “I thought I wasn’t good enough, but if others thought I was good enough, I decided the problem must be with me.” By now, his voice having progressed from baritone to tenor, he auditioned for the chorus of Cape Town Opera and three months later had a solo role in Lucia di Lammermoor.

The rest is history. I Pagliacci, Les Pêcheurs de Perles, La Traviata, Nabucco, The Bartered Bride and Così fan tutte followed. Then from 2004 to 2007 he toured South Africa and the Far East in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom . Operetta roles in Lehár’s The Merry Widow and Strauss’s Die Fledermaus followed, as did a full scale production of Mozart’s Magic Flute.

With the Italian repertoire under his belt, he turned his attention to Wagner, receiving critical acclaim for Der fliegende Holländer in Cape Town last year. In June and July he goes to audition in Germany – a tour that will take him to Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Munich. He hopes to land a role in one of the large German opera houses. “They found something in my voice and were impressed,” he tells me. “And there are talks of the Wagner competition.” Exciting prospects. Plus he relishes the opportunity to work and train regularly .

He ascribes it to what he calls the potato philosophy. “You grow underground like a potato and when you are ripe you must come out. Then when you sing, everyone can enjoy the meal.”

Currently Matthew Overmeyer lives in Germany where he is actively involved in Church Life at the New Apostolic Church as a Choir Conductor. Matthew is a permanent member of Theater Hagen and holds the position of  1st Tenor where he performs Opera and other theatrical work. Matthew is passionate about music and performing arts and is always working on new projects.

Follow him on Social Media and check his website regularly for updates of his latest performances and events!

He is an award wining performer and his resume speaks for itself:

Repertoire

Lucia di Lammermoor	Arturo	italienisch
La Traviata	Gastone	italienisch
Nabucco	Abdallo	italienisch
I Pagliacci	Beppo	italienisch
Cosi fan Tutte	Ferrando	italienisch
Die Zauberflöte	Erster Priester	deutsch

    Erste Geharnischter

Les Pècheur de Perles	Nadir	französisch
Carmen	Don Jose	französisch
Treemonisha	Remus	englisch
Dead man Walking	Father Granville	englisch
Das Phantom der Oper	Piangi	englisch
Eine Nacht in Venedig	Caramello	deutsch
Die Fledermaus	Eisenstein	deutsch
The merry Widow	Camille de Rossilon	englisch
La Scala di Seta	Dorvil	italienisch
The barted Bride	Jenik	englisch
Der fliegende Holländer	Eric	deutsch
Fidelio	Der Erste Gevangener	deutsch
Jonny Spielt Auf	Erster Polizist	deutsch
Der Rosenkavallier	Tierhändler,Kellner	deutsch
Eugene Onegin	Vorsänger	deutsch
Lucia di Lammermoor	Normanno	Italienisch
Wienerwald	Gramafon sänger	Deutsch
Ritter Roland	Licone	Deutsch
Aida	Bote	Italienisch

 

Oratorienaufführungen als Tenor Soli

Verdi	Reqiem
Haydn	The Creation
Händel	Der Messias
Mozart	Requiem
Mozart	Missa di Brevi
Saint Saens	Oratorio De Noel
Bach	Kantata BWV 80 Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott

 

Aufführungen als Chorsänger als Tenor

Die Fledermaus

La Boheme

Carmina  Burana

Brahm`s Requiem

Rocky Horror Show

Bruckner E- moll Messe

Don Giovanni

Don Carlos

La Traviata

Der fliegende Holländer

Peter Grimes

Aida

Cabaret

Die Großherzogin von Gerolstein

Der Wildschütz

Susanah

Carmen

Jesus Christ Superstar

Otello

Lola rennt

Don Quichotte

Don Pasquale

Faust

Die Spinnen Die Römer

Die Entfürung aus dem Serial

Ball im Savoy

Fidelio

Madama Butterfly

Die Zauberflöte

Vanessa

Jonny Spielt Auf

Eugene Onegin

Der Rosenkavalier

Die Csardasfürstin

Lucia di Lammermoor

Wienerwald

Tosca

Frau Luna

Simone Boccanegra

Pariser Leben