Baritone Joel Mathias is known as “a force in his own right” who expresses “real, authentic, raw emotion”. Recent highlights include the title role in Verdi’s Falstaff (Opera Reading Project), Pa Zegner in Mazzoli’s Proving Up (Journey North Opera Company), Junius in Britten’s Lucretia (AOT Opera Theatre), Sergeant in Rossini’s Barber of Seville (Minnesota Opera), and Ajax II in Offenbach’s La belle Hélène (LAMF). Joel grew up in White Bear Lake, MN, studied voice with John De Haan at the University of Minnesota, and currently resides in Minneapolis with his husband Chris, their dog Blair, and cats Shadow and Oliver. Joel currently studies with Dennis Petersen at MacPhail Center for Music.