Meet two of our soloists for our Holiday Joy Concerts: Baritone, Matthew Payne, and Soprano, Kira Neary
Don’t forget to purchase your tickets to see Kira and Matthew perform with your MSO!
Originally from New York City, soprano Kira Neary is currently attending the Maryland Opera Studio at the University of Maryland for her Master of Music degree, studying with Kevin Short. She just finished her undergraduate study at Northwestern University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Music in Voice and Opera Performance alongside a Bachelor of Arts in European History.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Kira sang as La Musica in Northwestern University’s online production of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, entitled Orfeo Remote (directed by Joachim Schamberger, and available on YouTube). She also recorded a movement of Marcos Balter’s meltDown Upshot under the direction of Alan Pierson with Northwestern’s Contemporary Music Ensemble. In the winter of 2020, Kira performed a cameo role in Northwestern University Opera Theatre’s production of Die Fledermaus, singing the “Vilja-Lied” from Lehár’s The Merry Widow. In the summer of 2019, she sang the role of Poppea in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea as a studio artist at Miami Music Festival. With Northwestern University Opera Theatre, she appeared as the Mother in David T. Little’s cutting-edge opera Dog Days conducted by Alan Pierson, and as the title role in Handel’s Theodora. She has also performed in masterclasses with two internationally famous sopranos, Ana María Martínez and Angela Meade.
A dedicated performer of new music, in the winter of 2019 Kira sang the Midwest premiere of Kate Soper’s The Ultimate Poem is Abstract with Northwestern University’s Contemporary Music Ensemble, under the baton of Benjamin Bolter. She was also a member of the Bienen Contemporary/Early Vocal Ensemble (BCE), conducted by Grammy-award winning conductor Donald Nally, for four years, during which time she participated in the works of David Lang, Ted Hearne, Gabriel Jackson, Caroline Shaw, and others. With BCE, she sang the First Wren in a workshop of Justine F. Chen’s new opera The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing with Chicago Opera Theater.
Kira is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music’s Precollege program. She has also attended various summer programs, including the Chautauqua School for Voice, Miami Music Festival, Russian Opera Workshop, Accademia Vocale Lorenzo Malfatti, and AIMS in Graz. She enjoys scented candles, small bowls, microwave popcorn, high fantasy novels, Jane Austen, medieval nuns, and Fleetwood Mac. She can usually be found playing card games with friends, scouting vegan restaurants, or rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Matthew Payne, English-American baritone, is currently a member of the Maryland Opera Studio, completing his M.M on a full scholarship at the University of Maryland and studying with bass-baritone Kevin Short. He concurrently received Bachelors degrees in vocal performance and in biology from Oberlin Conservatory and College. Last summer Matthew was a young artist at Central City Opera, where he covered the role of Marullo and Count Monterone in Verdi’s Rigoletto. While there he also gave a solo recital as a part of their “Al Fresco” series. During the 2021/22 season Matthew looks forward to playing Papageno in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (Maryland Opera Studio), premiering the role of Aaron in Nailah Nombeko’s new opera Sunder (Annapolis Opera and Maryland Opera Studio), and portraying Joe Harland in John Musto’s Later the Same Evening (Maryland Opera Studio).
Payne has previously performed as a baritone fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center (2019). While there, he participated in a masterclass with Renée Fleming (broadcast on The Today Show), performed Othmar Schoeck’s Notturno with the New Fromm Players, and sang Schlendrian in Bach’s Coffee Cantata with conductors John Harbison and Killian Farrell. Payne has also been an artist at the Chautauqua Institute (2018), where he studied with the esteemed Marlena Malas.
Payne’s previous roles include: Roberto (cover) in Mozart’s La finta giardiniera (Maryland Opera Studio), Billy Bigelow in Carousel (Skaneateles Theater), Mr. Gobineau in Menotti’s The Medium (Oberlin Opera Theater), Charlie in Jake Heggie’s Opera Three Decembers (an Oberlin collaboration concert with librettist Gene Scheer and conductor Joseph Mechavich), Executor in John Kander’s workshopped production of The Enchanted, Victor in Cabaret (Oberlin College Theater), Lysander in Purcell’s Fairy Queen (Opera Neo), and Massetto (cover) in Don Giovanni (Opera Neo).
As a soloist, Payne has performed in concerts with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Mikael Eliasen, the Oberlin Conservatory Orchestra (baritone soloist in Faure’s Requiem), the Society for New Music, and the Oberlin Baroque Ensemble. Payne has also been a finalist in the Sigma Alpha Iota Competition and a semi-finalist in the Orpheus Vocal Competition.
Educationally, Matthew is the founding voice teacher at Virtu. Academy, a high-quality online lesson provider. In his free time, Payne is also a published photographer.