Captivating audiences with exquisite musicality, commanding stage presence and a voice of arresting beauty, Michael Kelly is quickly establishing himself as one of his generation's finest artists.
A consummate recitalist and art song specialist, Mr. Kelly's profoundly insightful interpretations and mastery of the intricacies of language have garnered him comparison to such icons of song repertoire as Matthias Goerne and Gérard Souzay.
Michael was most recently heard in recital at New York's famed Trinity Church, performances of Satie's Socrate with Mark Morris Dance Group, Schubert's Winterreise in Houston with Grace Song Inc., John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versaille in Aspen, and in a concert of Tchaikovsky songs at New York's Symphony Space with Ensemble for the Romantic Century. Upcoming engagements include Aeneas in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas at the Festival de Musica Barocca de San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, and Coridon in Acis and Galatea with Boston Early Music Festival. The 2009/10 season brought him to the prestigious Steans Institute at the Ravinia Festival where his performances encompassed the varied styles of composers ranging from Beethoven to Musto. He won second prize in the Liederkranz Foundation Lieder/Art Song Competition and was a semi-finalist in the Wigmore Hall Song Competition. Subsequent 2009/10 engagements include an appearance in the 3rd annual Concert for Peace in Houston, Texas, soloist in Purcell's Ode for St. Cecilia's Day with the Sacred Music in a Sacred Space concert series in NY, the role of Stevie in Michael Dellaira's new opera The Secret Agent with the Center for Contemporary Opera, and guest artist with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Mr. Kelly's 2008/09 season included his debut with Mercury Baroque as Artémidore in Lully's Armide, and performances of Handel's Messiah throughout Switzerland with 90 Stimmen.
In 2007/08 Mr. Kelly was a member of the renowned Internationales Opernstudio at Opernhaus Zürich, where he sang in Così Fan Tutte and Aeneas in Cavalli's La Didone. He was also featured in several recitals including Liederabends on the stage of Opernhaus Zürich and at the Wagner Museum in Lucerne. He made his European debut in July of 2008 with Opernhaus Zürich in Handel's Rinaldo under the baton of William Christie. Following his debut, Mr. Kelly was presented in recital with celebrated pianist Pietro De Maria at the Ernen Musikdorff festival.
While earning his master's degree at The Juilliard School Mr. Kelly was heard in Bach Cantata no.4 and The Shostakovich Yiddish Folk poems, both in Alice Tully Hall, as well as numerous art song recitals. His appearances with the Juilliard Opera Theater include Idamante in Idomeneo and Sattirino in Cavalli's La Calisto. He created the dual roles of Bartender and Radio Singer in the world premier of Lowell Liebermann's Miss Lonelyhearts with the Juilliard Opera Center.
Other past performances include his Chicago Opera Theater debut in 2007 in Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria under the baton of Jane Glover, recitals with Festival d'Aix en Provence, a concert of Mozart arias in Bastia, Corsica, and a recital at the Museum of Modern Art, NY, as part of the Redon exhibition.
Mr. Kelly was also a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center where he was heard in a concert staging of Don Giovanni with conductor James Levine.
Mr. Kelly was a prize winner in the Oratorio Society of New York's Lyndon Woodside Solo Competition in 2009. He won first place in the Jessie Kneisel Lieder Competition in 2004.
