Michael Spyres

Michael Spyres (born 1979) is an American operatic tenor. He has a wide vocal range and can also sing baritone roles; he calls himself a "baritenor".[1][2][3] He has sung at major international opera houses, including Milan's La Scala, London's Royal Opera, and New York's Metropolitan Opera, and his repertoire includes Handel, Mozart, bel canto, grand opera, and Wagner.

Biography

Michael Spyres was born in Mansfield, Missouri, US, and studied singing at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Austria.[4] 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.[5] He made his debut at La Scala, Milan, in Rossini's Il viaggio a Reims in 2009[4] and appeared the same year in the demanding leading role of Raoul in Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots at Bard SummerScape in New York.[6] Since then, his career has taken him to the Royal Opera House, London, in the title role of Mozart's Mitridate, re di Ponto under Christophe Rousset,[7][8] to the Teatro Comunale di Bologna and La Monnaie, Brussels, as Arnold in Rossini's Guillaume Tell,[9] a role he also sang at the Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center in 2014, in a production conducted by Nayden Todorov,[10] to Opéra National de Bordeaux for the title role in Berlioz' La damnation de Faust under Paul Daniel,[11][12] and to the Liceu, Barcelona, in the title role of Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffmann under Stéphane Denève.[13][14] He also sang the title role in a new production of Adam's Le postillon de Lonjumeau at the Opéra-Comique in Paris in 2019, conducted by Sébastien Rouland.[15][16]

In 2020 Spyres made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, as Faust in a concert performance of La damnation de Faust.[17] Subsequently he sang there the title role in Mozart's Idomeneo in 2022 and Pollione in Bellini's Norma in 2023 with Sonya Yoncheva as Norma.[18] He made his role debut as Tristan in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde at the Metropolitan on March 9, 2026. The cast included Lise Davidsen as Isolde, Ekaterina Gubanova as Brangäne, Tomasz Konieczny as Kurwenal with the Met's music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting.[19] The performance of March 21, 2026, was telecast to theatres as part of the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD series.[20]

His many recordings include Berlioz's Les Troyens (title role of Énée), Requiem, the song cycle 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 albums Espoir (2017) for Opera Rara, Baritenor (2021) for Erato,[21] In the Shadows (2024) with Les Talens Lyriques conducted by Christophe Rousset.[22]

Spyres is the artistic director of Ozarks Lyric Opera (formerly Springfield Regional Opera) in Springfield, Missouri.[23]

Recordings

Audio recordings of complete operas

Video recordings of complete operas

Orchestral works

Recitals

Awards and titles

References

  1. ^ Ross, Alex (23 March 2026). "A 'Baritenor' Soars in Tristan und Isolde: At the Met, Michael Spyres uses his broad vocal range to stunning effect, but Lise Davidsen loses power when she leaves her brilliant upper register". The New Yorker.
  2. ^ Joshua Barone (8 September 2022). "Review: A Singer's Immense Sound Engulfs a Recital Room". The New York Times.
  3. ^ Mark Pullinger (2021). "Michael Spyres: Baritenor". Gramophone (review of album Baritenor, Erato 9029515666).
  4. ^ a b "Michael Spyres – People". Royal Opera House. Archived from the original on 22 November 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  5. ^ "Rossini Otello – NAXOS 8.660275-76 [RH]: Classical Music Reviews – June 2010". www.musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Les Huguenots at Bard SummerScape 2009". www.operatoday.com. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  7. ^ "Mitridate, re di Ponto, K. 87, Royal Ballet and Opera, Jun 26 – Jul 7 2017, London". Operabase. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  8. ^ "Mitridate, re di Ponto – 1 July 2017 Evening 6.47pm". Royal Ballet and Opera Collections. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  9. ^ "Guillaume Tell, Rossini. Brussels". Opera World (in European Spanish). 12 March 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  10. ^ "Guillaume Tell, Wichita Grand Opera, Feb 22 2014, Wichita". Operabase. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  11. ^ "La Damnation de Faust, Opéra National de Bordeaux, Feb 18–22 2015, Bordeaux". Operabase. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  12. ^ "La Damnation de Faust". Opéra National de Bordeaux. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  13. ^ "Les contes d'Hoffmann, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Feb 4–23 2013, Barcelona". Operabase. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  14. ^ "Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann". BBC Music Magazine. 15 August 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  15. ^ "Le Postillon de Lonjumeau". Opéra-Comique. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  16. ^ Brodie, Susan (5 April 2019). "Old French Delight Is Polished Anew By Opéra Comique". Classical Voice North America. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  17. ^ Zachary Woolfe (26 January 2020). "Dear Met Opera: Please, More Concerts Like This Berlioz". The New York Times.
  18. ^ "Michael Spyres", Met Opera Archives Database.
  19. ^ CID: 387915, Met Opera Archives Database.
  20. ^ Tristan und Isolde, March 21, 2026, Met Opera Archives Database.
  21. ^ "Recordings". Michael Spyres – Baritenor.
  22. ^ Hugo Shirley (April 2024). "Michael Spyres: In the Shadows". Gramophone (review of Erato 5419 78798-2). Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  23. ^ "Artistic Staff – Artistic Director". Ozarks Lyric Opera. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  24. ^ 2007 La gazzetta OCLC 666288444.
  25. ^ Richard Lawrence, Review of Rossini, La gazzetta, 2007: "A lesser-known Neapolitan comedy from Rossini's period of astonishing creativity", Gramophone, January 2011, p. 93 [Gives the year of recording as 2009, likely an error.]
  26. ^ Richard Osborne, Review of Rossini, Otello, 2008: "Jessica Pratt is stunning but not all of the cast are up to her high standard", Gramophone, August 2010, pp. 85–86.
  27. ^ 2008 Otello OCLC 1122995477, 811449715.
  28. ^ Eric Myers, Review of July 31, 2009, Bard SummerScape performance of Les Huguenots, Opera, November 2009, pp. 1363–1364. Digital audio available at PrestoMusic, Apple Music, Amazon ASIN B004191FN2, among others.
  29. ^ 2010 Le siège de Corinthe CD Booklet; Back cover, naxosmusiclibrary.com. OCLC 883890978. ASIN B00D6UQLX6.
  30. ^ Joseph Newsome (February 1, 2014), "CD REVIEW: Antonio Mazzoni – ANTIGONO (M. Spyres, G. McGreevy, P. Lucciarini, A. Quintans, M. Hinojosa Montenegro, M. Oro; Dynamic CDS 7686/1-3)", Voix des Arts.
  31. ^ 2013 Guillaume Tell OCLC 907135159.
  32. ^ 2014 Les Martyrs OCLC 962234854.
  33. ^ 2015 Le pré aux clercs ASIN 8460892247.
  34. ^ Mark Pullinger, Review of 2015 Le pre aux clercs, Gramophone, January 2017, p. 86.
  35. ^ 2015 Le duc d'Albe OCLC 943716635.
  36. ^ "Gramophone Recording of the Month: Mark Pullinger is bowled over by an epic new recording of Berlioz's Les Troyens, caught live in Strasbourg with a luxury cast under the direction of John Nelson", Gramophone, December 2017, pp. 56–57.
  37. ^ "Gramophone Awards 2018", Gramophone, December 2018, p. 30.
  38. ^ Mark Pullinger, Review of 2019 La damnation de Faust, Gramophone, December 2019, p. 102.
  39. ^ Richard Lawrence, Review of 2020 Mitridate studio audio recording conducted by Marc Minkowski, Gramophone, January 2022, pp. 85–86.
  40. ^ 2020 Mitridate, re di Ponto Booklet, naxosmusiclibrary.com.
  41. ^ 2021 Theodora OCLC 1369495910, 1371109623.
  42. ^ 2013 Guillaume Tell OCLC 919167786.
  43. ^ 2015 Medea in Corinto OCLC 961826862.
  44. ^ Richard Lawrence, Review of 2016 Mitridate video conducted by Emmanuelle Haïm, Gramophone, July 2017, p. 86.
  45. ^ 2016 Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno OCLC 1038532650, 988556065.
  46. ^ 2018 La nonne sanglante OCLC 1114338360.
  47. ^ 2019 Le postillon de Lonjumeau ASIN B088N3WVVZ.
  48. ^ 2019 Benvenuto Cellini OCLC 1339102370.
  49. ^ Mark Pullinger, Review of Amici e Rivali, Gramophone, January 2021, pp. 85–86.
  50. ^ Tim Ashley, "An exceptional showcase for a uniquely versatile voice: Michael Spyres sings with a limitless understanding of style", Gramophone, Awards 2022, p. 58.
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