Michael Anthony McGee
bass-baritone
Hailed by Opera News as possessing “a sturdy baritone and terrific swagger with equal portions of baritonal power and graceful subtlety”, Michael Anthony McGee is enjoying successes on both the operatic and concert stages, in all styles from the Renaissance to Contemporary repertoire. Mr. McGee has sung leading roles throughout the United States, including the title roles in both Verdi’s FALSTAFF and Puccini’s GIANNI SCHICCHI with Seattle Opera Young Artist Program, Alphonse LA FAVORITEand the title role in Borodin’s PRINCE IGOR with San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program, the American premiere of Tan Dun’s TEA: A MIRROR OF SOUL and Orest IPHIGÉNIE EN TAURIDE at Santa Fe Opera, and Hermann Ortel DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NURNBERG at the Tanglewood Music Festival under the baton of Maestro James Levine. In his two years as a Filene Young Artist at Wolf Trap Opera Company, Mr. McGee sang the roles of Don Geronio IL TURCO IN ITALIA, Snug A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and sang the title role SWEENEY TODD with the National Symphony Orchestra’s at the 7000-seat Filene Center. Other engagements include the demanding role of Francesco del Giocondo in Max von Schilling’s MONA LISA at Carnegie Hall with American Symphony Orchestra and Zurga LES PECHEURS DE PERLES with Israeli Opera, Tel Aviv. Recent concert appearances include Mahler Kindertotenlieder with The Orchestra Now in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, where his reviews included the following from concerto.net – ”Mr. McGee’s performance was lyrically gorgeous, his voice an effortless instrument. Mahler himself regarded the voice as part of an orchestra, and Mr. McGee had an easy time of it, from the lowest tones to almost a falsetto when necessary.”
In 2008 Mr. McGee made his Carnegie Hall debut with Opera Orchestra of New York as The Tsar’s Valet THE TSAR’S BRIDE under the baton of Eve Queler. Mr McGee is proud to continue his relationship with OONY and recently recorded the role of Bustamente LA NAVARRAISE with Roberto Alagna and Elina Garanca, conducted by Alberto Veronesi to be released by Deutsche Gramophone.
In 2011 Michael Anthony McGee made his European debut. Maestro Lorin Maazel offered him the leading role of Winston Smith in his opera 1984 at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, learning the role in five days. His success was hailed internationally: “Young, American baritone Michael Anthony McGee, doing his first Winston Smith, showed a fine, well-trained voice and promising acting skills.” Mr. McGee continued his working relationship with Maestro Maazel, most recently with the Hong Kong Philharmonic in Britten’s War Requiem, at Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari as Morales CARMEN, and at Maazel’s Castleton Festival where he performed the roles of Marcello LA BOHÈME and Morales CARMEN, and was featured in recital at the Theater at Little Washington as a ‘Star of the Future’.
On the concert stage, Mr. McGee sang Jesus in Bach’s St. John Passion with members of the Manhattan School of Music Orchestra in a charity benefit for Classical Action:
Performing Arts Against AIDS. Mr. McGee’s oratorio repertoire includes the bass soloist in Bach’s Magnificat, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Beethoven’s MissaSolemnis, Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes De Confessore, Mendelssohn’s ELIJAH, the roles of Raphael and Adam in Haydn’s Creation, Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem, Faure’s Requiem, both Mahler’s Kindertotenliederand Rückert Lieder, and Orff’s Carmina Burana recently performed with both the Seattle Symphony and the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company.
As a recitalist and interpreter of art song, Mr. McGee has been presented at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, and 92nd Street Y, The Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn, NY, Trinity Concert’s at One at Trinity Church, The Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for Performing Arts, The Philips Collection in Washington DC, Ozawa Hall at the Tanglewood Music Festival, and Nordstrom Hall in Seattle, WA. As a 2009 Stern Fellow at Songfest, Michael Anthony McGee premiered the cycle Insomnia by American composer Tom Cipullo. This summer, Mr. McGee returned to Songfest as the 2013 Distinguished Alumnus where he was presented in recital at the Colburn School in Los Angeles and premiered the four-hand transcription of Bernstein’s Songfest prepared by John Musto.
Michael Anthony McGee was the first American ever to win First Place at the Maria Kraja International Competition for Operatic Singers held in Tirana, Albania. Additional awards include 2nd Place Opera Index Competition, Winner 2009 Sullivan Foundation Award, 2nd Place 2009 Liederkranz Foundation Competition, 1st Place 2009 Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, and 1st Place 2009 Mario Lanza Institute International Competition. Mr. McGee is the 2010 recipient of the George London Award from the George London Foundation for Singers. A native of Dallas, he holds both Bachelors and Masters of Music degrees from Manhattan School of Music.
