EVENT
NDSU baritone returns
Published October 2015
Baritone Matthew Tintes travels all over the country as a member of acclaimed vocal ensemble Cantus. On Oct. 23, the NDSU alumnus will return to Fargo when Cantus performs at the NDSU Challey School of Music’s Choral Symposium.
“When I step back and think about it, I can't believe it's been more than a decade since I graduated from NDSU!” Tintes said. “As my life and career have taken me away from North Dakota, it's wonderful to be able to bring Cantus to NDSU.”
Major: Vocal music education
Graduated: 2004
Why did you choose NDSU?
I grew up in West Fargo, so NDSU was always an option in the back of my mind. When I began college, I was actually a political science major. However, my decision to attend NDSU was very heavily influenced by the quality of the music department, both the ensembles and the faculty. It’s no surprise, then, that by the beginning of my sophomore year, I was officially a music major!
How has NDSU made a difference in your life? While at NDSU, I was able to participate in so many music ensembles, both as a singer and as a trumpet player. It’s my opinion that the knowledge and experience that I gained from being able to participate in so many quality ensembles not only laid the foundation for the musician I became, but also allowed me to hone my skills and leave my time at NDSU as a competent, confident musician.
Where do you work/live?
I live in Minneapolis, but my work with Cantus takes me all over the country, and occasionally, the world.
Tell us about your career timeline.
After graduating from NDSU, I attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where I studied vocal performance (specifically opera), and I received my master’s in music in spring 2008. I began singing with Cantus in August 2009, and am currently in my seventh season with the ensemble.
What is one of the most exciting things about your work? Cantus is an artist-led chamber ensemble. What this means is that we do not have one person who is the artistic director. Rather, every member of the ensemble is fully involved in all the musical decisions we make. This means that our artistic model allows us, the men of Cantus, to create and shape our artistic product, which allows us an artistic freedom that is quite unique to our ensemble.
