ABOUT PRINCIPE DYNAMICS
Photo Credit: Austin Richey
TESTIMONIALS
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“Matthew provided great insights about process and technology for a book I co-authored for Wiley, detailing specific projects he had worked on for both Boston Baroque and Detroit Opera. He was generous with his time and knowledge, and his background in the cultural sector and vision for the future proved invaluable for multiple chapters. I am proud to call Matthew a colleague.”
PAUL HANSEN | Co-author, Rasing the Curtain: Technology Success Stories from Performing Arts Leaders and Artists Director of The Basille Collaboration Center, Fonseca Theatre Company
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“I have worked with Matthew many times over the years. He brings a vast amount of creativity in a warm and extremely friendly way.
There is not a time I don't look forward to working with Matthew!”
EVAN ANTHONY | Senior Colorist, Goldcrest Post
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“Matthew has that rare sense of vision – in his ability to see strategic needs, in his perspective in how to connect with modern audiences, and in understanding what needs to be done to make things happen.”
JIM SECTOR | Sectorlab
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“Matthew's work is impeccable, and his curatorial ideas are forward thinking and energizing. It is an immense pleasure to collaborate with him. He is creative, thoughtful, works to a deadline and I couldn't recommend him more highly. Furthermore as a long standing board member of Sparks & Wiry Cries, his contributions are invaluable when it comes to how we should be imagining our future content.”
MARTHA GUTH | Co-Director, Sparks & Wiry Cries
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“It was a pleasure to work with Matthew over the years at Boston Baroque. Matthew possesses creativity, a strong acumen in operationalizing complex project. He has a deep network and is widely respected in the field.”
JENNIFER RITVO HUGHES | Boston Baroque
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“Be it Messi or Mozart, soccer and opera are different games with the same rules. Matthew gets this. He understands that all cultural institutions are community assets and must cultivate a dedicated fanbase. His insight is that passionate work ignites passionate support, and his audacious creative leadership embodies this belief.
But Matthew also understands that art, like sport, must be for everyone. The playing field is different, but the invitation must be the same: accessibility matters, representation matters, equity matters. Matthew's openness to new ideas and his focus on solutions testify to that.
It's been great working with Matthew. He's got a knack for turning the good into the great. With him, Detroit City FC's projects have hit harder, surprised more, and worked better. Through him, my team—and my city—are treated to some of the best new work to be seen anywhere.”
ALEX WRIGHT | Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder, Detroit City FC
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“I've had the pleasure of working alongside Matthew for several projects and always look forward to our paths crossing. From art songs to music videos to interview shoots, our background has spanned a variety of endeavours. Regardless of the project, not only does Matthew bring enthusiasm to the room, but integrity as well. His passion for the work and art he creates ignites a sense of purpose and excitement for all involved. Whether brainstorming camera angles or conceptualizing visuals, Matthew's blend of creativity and professionalism creates a space for all ideas to be considered while keeping the goal in mind. Working alongside Matthew, you can be certain that each project will be approached with dedication and innovation.”
NEVILLE BRAITHWAITE | Associate Videographer/Editor, Metropolitan Opera
Matthew Principe is one of the few multi-disciplinary creatives who can candidly move conversations in classical music performance and pop culture, affecting change in both industries - on stage and on screen.
Regularly working with international creatives of the highest caliber, Matthew’s recent projects have included the workshop of Kindred, a new opera based on Octavia Butler’s book, by Grammy-winning composer Billy Childs and librettist Sarah LaBrie, commissioned by the Apollo Theater; the development of The Swann, a chamber opera about William Dorsey Swann - the first American on record to legally defend the LGBTQ community’s right to gather, by composer Tamar-Kali and librettist Carl Hancock Rux with Office Hours Residency at REACH (Kennedy Center); and the performance capture of Sasha Jane’s stereotype-breaking production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, the first collaboration between Jacobs School of Music and Indiana Public Media in decades.
Currently in development, the new podcast OpCulture explores opera's influence on popular culture today - whether it's Marvel's affinity for Valkyries, Taylor Swift’s opera-singing grandmother, or Beyonce's infusion of an 18th-century aria into her “country” album. This storytelling podcast will explore historical moments to break down the colonizing past and gatekeeping present of a 400-year-old European art form and how the world expresses emotions beyond words.
Matthew is the Livestream Director for Boston Baroque; and in partnership with GBH Studios and IDAGIO, directs the live performance broadcasts of programs seen in 6 continents and over 60 countries. As Director of Media and Special Projects at Detroit Opera, where he worked closely on innovative storytelling & distribution with Artistic Director Yuval Sharon, Matthew oversaw the rebranding of the 50-year institution from Michigan Opera Theatre. Instrumental in the return to in-person performance and updated visual and digital presentation, the company experienced unprecedented new audience growth and highest attendance of opera and dance performances in 10 years.
Prior, Matthew was the Line Producer of the Metropolitan Opera’s Grammy, Emmy, and Peabody Award-winning Live in HD series, which transmits live opera performances to movie theaters in 70 countries around the world; and Associate Producer of the Metropolitan Opera Radio Broadcasts on SIRIUS / XM Satellite Radio, broadcasting over 1000 live broadcasts throughout North America as well as via the Met’s website.
At ease in a plethora of multi-genre performance, Matthew was instrumental in facilitating the American debut of Israeli electro pop band The Young Professionals for the Park Avenue Armory Gala. His recent independent project is the film adaptation of Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson’s 12-hour performance piece, Bliss, at Los Angeles Philharmonic’s FLUXUS Festival. Matthew’s stage projects include the GLAAD Media Award-winning production of Candy & Dorothy with frequent collaborator Kevin Newbury, and other endeavors on Broadway and off-Broadway.
An independent film producer, Matthew oversees development, production, and distribution for projects such as the Award-winning short films, Monsura is Waiting & Stag; and Epiphany V, which WFMT highlighted as the future of opera, all directed by Newbury. He is Executive Producer of the Award-winning short ribbons, written and directed by Brandon Cordeiro.
Named in Instinct Magazine’s “2018 Bears you Should Know”, Matthew is a tireless advocate for queer voices in every instance of arts and culture, knowing freedom of expression is paramount to progress. As Co-Chair of the Producers Guild of America’s Diversity Committee from 2018-2020, he continued movement of equity and inclusion of BIPOC, and LGBT in hiring practices as well as representation (and further, depiction) of diverse content in media.
After graduating from Temple University with a degree in Vocal Performance, Matthew served as the Assistant/Acting Orchestra Personnel Manager for The Philadelphia Orchestra, producing over 120 performances in 5 venues annually, as well as international tours. He’s also collaborated with arts institutions such as the Santa Fe Opera, Opera Orlando, The Cleveland Orchestra, National Sawdust, American Composers Forum, and Columbia Artists Management Inc., where he scouted emerging talent for their roster. A graduate of the Commercial Theatre Institute, Matthew serves on the board of the art song platform Sparks and Wiry Cries and the Artistic Advisory committee for MasterVoices.
Matthew appeared in over fifty productions of musical theater and opera as a performer. He has served as a Philadelphia representative of the American Guild of Musical Artists. Under the auspices of American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, he was one of the first recitalists to perform in the rebuilt Graz Synagogue.
Photo Credit: Engin Beri