Matthew Aucoin

Matthew Aucoin (born 1990) is an American composer, conductor, pianist, and writer best known for his operas. Aucoin has received commissions from the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the American Repertory Theater, the Peabody Essex Museum, Harvard University, and NPR's This American Life. As a young musical virtuoso, Aucoin has been compared to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Richard Wagner, and Leonard Bernstein. Additionally, he is the youngest assistant conductor in the history of the Metropolitan Opera. He was appointed as Los Angeles Opera's first-ever Artist-in-Residence in 2016.

Aucoin was born and raised in the Boston area. He attended Harvard College, where he studied poetry, graduating summa cum laude in 2012. His mentors at Harvard included Jorie Graham and Helen Vendler. While an undergraduate, Aucoin conducted productions of Die Fledermaus and Le Nozze di Figaro with the Dunster House Opera Society, now known as Harvard College Opera. Aucoin then received a graduate diploma from The Juilliard School, where he studied with composer Robert Beaser. Concurrently, he served as an Assistant Conductor at the Metropolitan Opera. Between 2013 and 2015, Aucoin was the Solti Conducting Apprentice at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Opera

• From Sandover (2010)
• Hart Crane (2012)
• Crossing (2015)
• Second Nature (2015)

Orchestra

• This Same Light (2013)
• The Seal Broken (2012)
• Cadenzas to Beethoven’s Violin Concerto (2012)

Mixed ensemble

• Dual, duet for cello and bass (2015)
• This Earth, for countertenor and piano (2015)
• Three Études for solo piano (2014)
• The Orphic Moment, dramatic cantata for countertenor, solo violin, and chamber ensemble (2014)
• Celan Fragments, violin and piano (2014)
• Piano Trio (2014)
• Three Whitman Songs, for baritone, four cellos, and piano (2013)
• Kinship, for soprano and piano
• Poem for Violin, solo violin (with projected text) (2012)