Michael Spyres

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Michael Spyres is an American operatic baritenor. He is particularly associated with the bel canto repertoire, especially the works of Rossini, and heroic roles in French grand opera.

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Biography

Michael Spyres was born in 1979 in Missouri, US, and studied singing at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Austria. [1] He won acclaim and international recognition for his performance in the title role of Rossini's Otello at the Rossini in Wildbad festival in Germany in 2008. [2] He made his debut at La Scala, Milan, in Rossini's Il viaggio a Reims in 2009 [1] and appeared the same year in the extremely demanding leading role of Raoul in Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots at Bard SummerScape in New York. [3] Since then, his career has taken him to the Royal Opera House, London, in the title role of Mozart's Mitridate, Re di Ponto , [1] to the Teatro Comunale, Bologna and La Monnaie, Brussels as Arnold in Rossini's Guillaume Tell ., [4] to Opéra National de Bordeaux for the title role in Berlioz' La Damnation de Faust [5] and to the Liceu, Barcelona, in the title role of Jacques Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann , [6] among many other engagements both in concerts and staged operas. [7] Spyres won widespread praise for his performance of the role of Vasco da Gama in Meyerbeer's L'Africaine at the Oper Frankfurt in 2018. [8] He sang the title role in a new production of Adolphe Adam's Le postillon de Lonjumeau at the Opéra-Comique in Paris in March 2019. [9] Spyres made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, in the title role of La damnation de Faust in 2020. [10]

His many recordings include Berlioz's Les Troyens (title role of Énée), Requiem, Les nuits d’été , La damnation de Faust, Rossini's Otello, Guillaume Tell and Le siège de Corinthe for Naxos Records, Les Huguenots for American Symphony Orchestra and the solo album Espoir for Opera Rara. [11]

Michael Spyres is the artistic director of Springfield Regional Opera, US. [12]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Michael Spyres — People — Royal Opera House". www.roh.org.uk. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  2. International, MusicWeb. "ROSSINI Otello - NAXOS 8.660275-76 [RH]: Classical Music Reviews - June 2010 MusicWeb-International". www.musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  3. "Opera Today : Les Huguenots at Bard SummerScape 2009". www.operatoday.com. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  4. "Guillaume Tell, Rossini. Brussels". Opera World (in European Spanish). 12 March 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  5. "La Damnation de Faust à l'Auditorium de Bordeaux – Un sauveur nommé Spyres - Compte-rendu". Concertclassic (in French). 23 February 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  6. "Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Michael Spyres - Liceu) - Jacques Offenbach - Critique DVD". Tutti-magazine (in French).
  7. "BIO". Michael Spyres - Tenor.
  8. "Meyerbeers Oper L`Africaine in Frankfurt - Faust Kultur". faustkultur.de (in German).
  9. Brodie, Susan. "Old French Delight Is Polished Anew By Opéra Comique | Classical Voice North America". Classical Voice North America. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  10. "Metropolitan Opera Association". archives.metoperafamily.org. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  11. "Recordings". Michael Spyres - Tenor.
  12. "Artistic". SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL OPERA. Retrieved 2 November 2018.

Selected recordings

Complete operas

Orchestral works

Recitals