Anthony Michaels-Moore

Anthony Michaels-Moore (born 8 April 1957) is an English operatic baritone. After beginning studies in singing in 1981 and attending the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama from 1984–85, his career has focused on the Italian repertoire throughout Europe where, in addition to the standard repertoire, he has sung the baritone roles of some of the less-known 19th Century Italian operas.

In North America he has appeared at most of the major houses, sometimes tackling some of the less familiar roles or appearing in a world premiere such as in his 2009, 2014, and 2015 appearances at the Santa Fe Opera's summer festival. He currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.[1]

Biography

Early years

Michaels-Moore was born in Essex. Between 1975 and 1978, he was a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Tank Regiment while studying at Newcastle University, and, after a year at Fenham teacher training college, he became a primary school teacher. He studied singing privately from 1981 onwards, was a member of the chorus at the English Bach Festival from 1982-4, and in 1984-5 attended the Royal Scottish Academy. In 1985 he was the first British winner of the Luciano Pavarotti Competition and sang the roles of Messenger (Oedipus rex) for Opera North and Scarpia in Tosca for Scottish Opera Go Round.[2][3]

Subsequent career

His career has been centered on the Italian repertoire, starting with lyric roles, but now focused on the great Verdi baritone roles. A review of his 2009 performances of Rigoletto with English National Opera noted his ability to be both "gloriously lyrical and terrifyingly baleful at the same time", combining beautiful Italianate legato with "monstrous power".[4] Another reviewer of that production opined that "he is [Britain's] leading Verdi baritone".[5] Performances in Canada as Rigoletto ("performing with amazing presence, his dark voice suited the character perfectly… brought a remarkable breadth of expression to the role") and in Europe as Scarpia ("he is obsequiously, sadistically, loathsomely mellifluous") as well as Falstaff in 2010 have also drawn high praise.[6]

Michaels-Moore made his début at London's Royal Opera House in 1987 and has subsequently appeared in many productions there including La Bohème, Pagliacci, The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro (1998), Andrea Chénier (1998), Tosca (2000), Macbeth (1997 & 2002), Falstaff (2003), Lucia di Lammermoor (2004), La traviata (2006), Il trovatore (2007), L’elisir d'amore (2009), and Madama Butterfly (2011). He has also appeared with all the other major British companies: English and Welsh National Operas, Opera North, Scottish Opera and Glyndebourne Festival Opera.[7]

In Europe he has appeared at major houses such as the Vienna State Opera, La Scala, Milan, the Opéra National de Paris, Munich's Bayerische Staatsoper, the Staatsoper and Deutsche Oper in Berlin, Barcelona's Liceu, La Monnaie in Brussels, the Grand Théâtre de Genève, Madrid's Teatro Real, Zurich Opera House, Oper Köln, and Teatro dell'Opera di Roma.

He also appears regularly in North America, and has performed at New York's Metropolitan Opera, the San Francisco Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Pittsburgh Opera, Opera Colorado Florida Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Philadelphia, and Opéra de Montréal.

In the USA, Michaels-Moore has a particularly strong relationship with the Santa Fe Opera; in their summer festivals he has appeared in classic Verdi parts such as Simon Boccanegra, Falstaff in 2008 and Germont pere, as well as creating the role of Robert Crosbie in Paul Moravec's The Letter (2009), which brought him particular critical approval. [8][9] He has also appeared at the festival in less familiar or new roles; singing the title role in The Impresario and the Emperor in The Nightingale in 2014, and creating the roles of Father Monroe and Pangle in the world premiere of Cold Mountain in 2015.

In South America the baritone has appeared in Andrea Chénier at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires[10][11] and in Aida at the Theatro Municipal in São Paulo.[12] [13]

Awards

2004: Grammy nomination for Best Classical Album recording — LSO Live: Britten: Peter Grimes with Sir Colin Davis conducting the London Symphony Orchestra [14]

1995: Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award, the highest recognition for live classical music-making in the United Kingdom[15]

1985: First British winner of the Luciano Pavarotti Competition in Philadelphia, USA[16]

Repertoire

Verdi

Puccini

Donizetti

Other Italian repertoire

Repertoire in other languages

Recordings

Complete operas

Other recordings

References

  1. "El Mitote, April 7, 2013", The Santa Fe New Mexican, 7 April 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  2. Adam, Nicky (ed) (1993). Who's Who in British Opera. Aldershot: Scolar Press. ISBN 0-85967-894-6.
  3. " Verdi's Warrior: Anthony Michaels-Moore" The Guardian (London), 7 June 2002
  4. Richard Morrison, "Rigoletto at the London Coliseum", The Times (London), 23 September 2009 Retrieved from timesonline.co.uk on 23 November 2009
  5. Mark Pullinger, "Rigoletto: English National Opera, 21st September 2009", on Opera Britannia.com, 22 September 2009. The author notes: "The main reason for going to see this run of performances though is for Anthony Michaels-Moore's portrayal of Rigoletto. His appearances in the UK are all too rare and questions should be asked why we don't see him here more frequently as he is, in my opinion, our leading Verdi baritone". Retrieved 23 November 2009
  6. Extracts from reviews appearing on the artist's North American representative at CAMI.com Retrieved 15 November 2010
  7. Artist's personal website, on anthony-michaels-moore.com Retrieved 15 November 2010
  8. Craig Smith, "The Letter evokes dark charm of a true tale", The Santa Fe New Mexican, 26 July 2009 on santafenewmexican.com. Smith notes, "He sang better and better as the night went on, confidently ringing the changes on his virile baritone" Retrieved 6 January 2009
  9. Simon Williams, "In review: from the around the world: Santa Fe", Opera News, November 2009, p.43. Williams notes: "(Michaels-Moore) represented moral weakness, emotional dependence and alcoholic indulgence with such devastating detail that Crosbie seemed symbolic of the corruption at the heart of the whole colonial enterprise"
  10. Artist's European management website, intermusica.co.uk Retrieved 15 November 2010
  11. Ann Ozorio, "Anthony Michaels-Moore — From the Army to the World Stage" in Opera Today, 18 May 2009 online at operatoday.com, retrieved 23 November 2009
  12. "São Paulo's Municipal Theatre to have opera about Egypt", Brazil-Arab News Agency, 30 July 2013, online at anba.com. Retrieved 24 August 2013
  13. "Gregory Kunde and Anthony Michaels-Moore star in Aida in Sao Paulo", intermusica.co.uk, 2 August 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2013
  14. http://variety.com/2004/music/news/part-ii-of-the-47th-annual-grammy-awards-nominees-1117914559/
  15. http://rpsmusicawards.com/index/singer
  16. Artist's personal website, on anthony-michaels-moore.com Retrieved 25 June 2016
  17. At the Santa Fe Opera in 2008
  18. At the Santa Fe Opera in 2009
  19. http://www.teatroallascala.org/en/season/opera-ballet/2014-2015/co2.html
  20. http://www.mondoliberonline.it/al-teatro-alla-scala-in-anteprima-mondiale-lopera-co2-per-il-tema-dellesposizione-universale/53330/
  21. http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Name/Santa-Fe-Opera-Apprentice-Program-For-Singers/Ensemble/465296-4
  22. "Anthony Michaels-Moore: Songs of the Sea - Songs of Travel (Rosenblatt Recitals)" on opusarte.com. Retrieved 24 August 2013.

External links

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