Singers

MATTHEW OLTMAN, Music Director and tenor, returns to Chanticleer for his tenth season. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, his first musical experiences were with the Des Moines Metro Opera and the Des Moines Children's Chorus. Mr. Oltman earned his B.A. in Performance from Simpson College in Iowa, singing roles such as Albert in Albert Herring and Camille in The Merry Widow. He earned his master's degree in Music Performance from the University of York in England with the aid of a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship. He has appeared as a soloist and recitalist in Europe and America as well as singing with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale for four seasons. Before joining Chanticleer, Mr. Oltman was on the faculty at Simpson College, where he taught harmony, French diction, choral techniques and voice. He is the co-editor of Chanticleer’s Silver Jubilee Anthology and A Chanticleer Christmas Anthology both published by Hinshaw Music, and continues to edit Hinshaw’s Chanticleer Choral Series. Mr. Oltman has served as guest conductor and clinician for ensembles such as the UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus, the Utah Symphony Chorus, the Pacific Youth Choir (Portland, OR), the Iowa Youth Chorus, Coro (Houston, TX), and the Sonoma County Choral Society's Midsummer Night Sings. He recently presented seminars on French pronunciation for singers at the North Central ACDA convention and continues to enjoy expanding his own knowledge of the French language.