Elisa Matthews is attracting attention in the musical theatre and opera worlds for her sweet soprano and compelling stage presence.  This spring she played Meg in Bristol Riverside Theatre's production of Little Women and received a Barrymore Nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a musical for her performance.  Gina Stevens of Stage reported "Meg is perfectly played by Elisa Matthews.  She sounded, looked and moved like an angel."  Recently she played Guenevere in Camelot with Ohio Light Opera and was lauded "wonderful" by John Finn of The Daily Record.   

Other recent musical theatre roles include Johanna in a Barrymore-winning production of Sweeney Todd with Arden Theatre, Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Magnolia in Show Boat and Grace in Annie (featuring Emmy-winning Wanda Sykes as Miss Hannigan) with Media Theatre, and Belle in A Christmas Carol with People’s Light & Theatre.  She has premiered numerous musical theatre works, most recently grammy winner Frank London's A Night in the Old Marketplace with Prince Music Theater, Winesburg, Ohio and Café Puttanesca with Arden Theatre.

Recently she wowed Opera Delaware audiences with her touching portrayal of Beth in Little Women and returned to play Susanna in their production of Le Nozze di Figaro.  The News Journal raved "Soprano Elisa Matthews is a perfect Susanna.  She has a clear, lovely voice, nowhere more effective than in her Act IV aria [Deh Vieni non Tardar]."  Other opera roles include Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Papagena in The Magic Flute, Nella in Gianni Schicchi, Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and Annina in La Traviata. She has performed roles with The Opera Company of Philadelphia, Bard Music Festival, Ohio Light Opera and Center City Opera Theatre.

On the concert stage, she has performed with the Immaculata Symphony as soprano soloist in Mozart’s Exultate Jubilate, the Delaware Valley Chorale for Donald McCullough’s Holocaust Cantata, the Williamsport Civic Chorus for Brahm’s Ein Deutches Requiem, and in various concerts with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops.

 

Ms. Matthews holds a Master of Music with a major in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from the Pennsylvania State University, where she appeared in several productions, most notably as Annina in The Saint of Bleecker Street and Alice Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art and Music from Connecticut College where she graduated Cum Laude and appeared as Sister Mary Amnesia in Nunsense.