Born in Georgetown, Matthew Newlin studied at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, later at the Chicago College of Performing Arts. In 2012, he won the Opera Birmingham Competition, in 2011 the American Opera Society of Chicago's Scholarship Competition. In 2012, he won 3rd place at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition. In 2012/13, he was in the Young Artist Studio of the Florida Grand Opera, also a member of the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program and the Young Artist Program of the Chicago Opera Theater.
As a member of the Merola Opera Program he sang Don Curzio ("Le Nozze de Figaro") and Lindoro ("L'Italiana in Algeri"). In Florida he sang the 1st Guardsman ("The Magic Flute"), Un notaro ("La Sonnambula"), in Santa Fe Condulmiero ("Maometto II") conducted by Fredric Chaslin and Nikolaus ("Silent Night"). Further engagements took him to the Chicago College of Performing Arts as Tamino ("The Magic Flute") and Chip ("Just for the Night"). His repertoire includes roles such as Fredrick ("The Pirates of Penzance"), Un soldato ("L'incoronazione de Poppea"), Le Mari ("Les Mamelles de Tirésias"), La Théière ("L'Enfant et les Sortilèges"), Flamand ("Capriccio"), Satyavan ("Sāvitri"), Hussar ("Mavra"), Garcin ("No Exit"), Baby Bear ("Goldilocks and the Three Bears") and The English Tailor ("The Last Savage"). On the concert platform, the young artist has so far interpreted the solo tenor part in Vaughan-Williams' "On Wenlock Edge", Mozart's Requiem, Saint-Saëns' "Christmas Oratorio" and Handel's "Messiah".
With the 2012/2013 season Matthew Newlin became a scholarship holder of the Förderkreis der Deutschen Oper Berlin and in 2014/2015 joined the ensemble of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where his roles included Almaviva ("The Barber of Seville"), Tamino ("The Magic Flute"), Don Ottavio ("Don Giovanni"), Pong ("Turandot"), Italian Singer ("Der Rosenkavalier"), Arturo ("Lucia di Lammermoor"), Belmonte ("Die Entführung aus dem Serail") and Alfredo ("La Traviata"). He just convinced as Froh in the new production of "Rheingold" and will debut as Don José in "Carmen" in the coming season.