Matthew Cairns

Bio

One of CBC’s 2019 ‘30 Hot Classical Musicians Under 30,’ Canadian Matthew Cairns is making a name for himself as one of the most exciting tenors on the rise.

In the 2024-2025 season, Mr. Cairns returns to the Canadian Opera company as Ismaele in Nabucco and Tambourmajor in Wozzeck. He makes his Paris Opera debut as Froh in Das Rheingold and sings Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Orchestre Métropolitain conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, joining Vancouver Symphony later in the
season for the same piece. He also sings Messagero in Aida at Festival International de Lanaudière. Last season, Mr. Cairns covered Leonard in The Hours at the Metropolitan Opera and performed in Bravissimo Opera’s Greatest Hits concert with the Canadian Opera Company. He also made his France debut in Thaïs (Nicias) with Opéra de Toulon.

In his first year in the Lindemann Young Artists Program, Mr. Cairns made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the Messenger in Aida and covered Bob Boles in Peter Grimes. He also performed as Macduff in Macbeth at the Canadian Opera Company and Don José in Carmen at Des Moines Metro Opera.

As a former member of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, Mr. Cairns appeared as the Prince of Persia in Turandot, the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, Gamekeeper in Rusalka, and covered Alfredo in La traviata. He performed Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni and Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi  with the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy, Liberto in The Coronation of Poppea with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and Detlef in The Student Prince at the Chautauqua Institution, where he placed first in its Sigma Alpha Iota Competition. Other roles performed include Count Belfiore in La finta giardiniera, Sam Kaplan in Street Scene, Sam Sharkey/Lumberjack in Paul Bunyan.

Mr. Cairns was a Grand Finals winner of the 2022 Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition and a finalist in the 2022 Neue Stimmen competition. He was the First Prize winner of the 2018 Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio Competition and winner of the CBC Music Young Artist Development Prize. He earned his master’s degree in opera performance at the University of Toronto.