Matthew Straw
© Seth Ian Mower
powerful and elegant
Conductor
Assistant Conductor, Opéra National du Rhin 2025–26
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‘Conducting is like dancing in the future. Everything that I do is about changing the sound, influencing time and providing people with information they need’
Matthew Straw is an emerging conductor of uncommon authority, musical integrity, and focus, already earning the confidence of major opera houses and orchestras. Trained as a singer, his instinctive understanding of the voice gives him particular strength in opera, shaping performances of clarity, precision, and dramatic insight.
Before his appointment in Europe, Straw served as Assistant Conductor of the Utah Symphony, where he gained unusually broad podium experience, conducting around 80 performances across symphonic, educational, and outreach repertoire. He is currently in the second year of a two‑year appointment as Assistant Conductor at Opéra national du Rhin, where in the 2025–26 season he will serve as Musical Director for Laurent Pelly’s Gypsy and assist productions ranging from Otello to Le Nozze di Figaro.
‘His technique is powerful and elegant, and in our private work together he continues to impress me by bringing very difficult pieces and musical excerpts to work on. I have taught many conductors through the years and Matthew is among the most talented’
Neeme Järvi
