Praised as “expressive and dynamic” and “vocally splendid,” American baritone Michael Kelly has performed with opera and orchestral companies in wide-ranging repertoire of many styles and periods. He is equally at home in opera, concert, recital, cabaret and musical theater. Recently, Michael was heard as Hannah Before in Laura Kaminsky’s As One (Opera Idaho and New York City Opera), Fred in Kiss Me Kate (St. Petersburg Opera), Bernstein’s Mass (Mostly Mozart Festival), Messiah (Seattle Symphony), The Last Rose by David Del Tredici (Symphony Space), Songs, Drones and Refrains of Death by George Crumb (New World Symphony), Zabur by Mohammed Fairouz (Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium), Die Schöne Müllerin (Symphony Space), recitals in Carnegie Hall with the Mimesis Ensemble, Ganz Hall, the Neue Galerie and the Kennedy Center. Michael has collaborated in recital with celebrated pianists Kathleen Kelly, Malcolm Martineau, Spencer Myer, Jonathan Ware and Brian Zeger. Mr. Kelly has also won prizes in several prominent competitions, including first prizes in the Poulenc Competition and Joy in Singing. He can be heard on recordings for Naxos and eOne of world premiers by composers Mohammed Fairouz and David Del Tredici, and seen in the documentary Secret Music about the life and compositions of Del Tredici. A frequent collaborator with living composers, Michael is also the curator for the newly released baritone volume of art songs for NewMusicShelf’s Anthology of New Music. A graduate of the Eastman School and Juilliard, Michael is the founder of SongFusion, a NY based art song ensemble.
