David Michael

David Lawrence Michael is gaining a reputation as one of today’s foremost interpreters of the bass operatic repertoire. His commanding stage presence and vocal versatility allow him to characterize kings, generals, and most notably, some of opera’s favorite villains.

Upcoming 2009-2010 appearances include José Tripaldi in Ainadamar and the Friar and Filippo II cover in Don Carlo with Cincinnati Opera, and his role debut as Mephistopheles in Faust with Dayton Opera. In the 2008-2009 season, Mr. Michael appeared with Cincinnati Opera as Doctor Grenville in La traviata, with Kentucky Opera as the Sergeant in Pirates of Penzance, made his role debut as Ferrando in Il trovatore with Orlando Opera, and sang in Handel’s Messiah with Pro Cantare in Columbia, MD.

Engagements for the 2007-2008 Season included Colline in La bohème at the Madison Opera, his role debut as Banco in Macbeth with Dayton Opera, and performances as Abimélech and the Old Hebrew in Samson et Dalila with Denyce Graves. In the 2006-2007 season, he performed Sparafucile in Rigoletto at Madison Opera, made his European debut as Porgy in Porgy and Bess with the StadtOper in Klugenfurt (Austria), performed the Bonze in Madama Butterfly and the Old Hebrew in Samson et Dalila with Dayton Opera, and returned to Cincinnati Opera as Schlemil in Tales of Hoffmann.

Mr. Michael has been a frequent guest of opera companies across the U.S. including numerous appearances with New York City Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Michigan Opera Theater, Cincinnati Opera, Opera Pacific, Lyric Opera Kansas City, Opera Carolina, Orlando Opera, Dayton Opera, Opera Memphis and many others. His many roles in the dramatic bass repertoire include Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Abimélech and Old Hebrew in Samson et Dalila, Nourabad in Pearl Fishers, Timur in Turandot, Colline in La bohème, Nilakantha in Lakme, Angelotti in Tosca, High Priest in Nabucco, Il Re and Ramphis in Aida, and Sarastro in The Magic Flute.

On the concert stage, Mr. Michael has performed operatic, oratorio and musical theater repertoire with several symphony and pops orchestras including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Dayton Philharmonic, Beethoven’s 9th with the Austin Symphony, Bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah, gala soloist with Opera du Montreal, and the role of Joe in Showboat with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. He is also a celebrated interpreter of old Negro Spirituals and was chosen as the World Premier Artist and recipient of the Grady-Rayam prize for the Negro Spiritual Scholarship Foundation’s 1999 National Gala Awards.

A native of Cincinnati, OH, Mr. Michael is a graduate of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN and The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. He has been a winner in several competitions including the Regional Finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the National Finals of the OPERA Columbus Vocal Competition, and a National Finalist in the Loren Zachary Competition.