Conductor Michael Sakir has been praised for his “artistic authority,” “fluidity of expression,” and “great delicacy of feeling.” He serves as Artistic Director of Intermountain Opera Bozeman and recently completed his fourth and final season as Music Director of Opera Memphis, a company with whom he was deeply involved in ground-breaking civic practice programs, community partnerships, and commissioning projects. 

In the 2019-2020 season, Sakir made his Seattle Opera debut conducting Jerre Dye and Zachary Redler’s THE FALLING AND THE RISING – a new opera co-commissioned with the United States Department of Defense and based on interviews with wounded American veterans. 

Sakir is a regular guest conductor with the Janiec Opera Company at the Brevard Music Center where he has conducted MADAMA BUTTERFLY and CANDIDE in Summer 2018, as well as Carlisle Floyd SUSANNAH and DIE FLEDERMAUS in Summer 2019. Other recent guest conducting engagements include Philip Glass GALILEO GALILEI and Laura Kaminsky AS ONE with Des Moines Metro Opera,IL TRITTICO and Andre Previn A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE with Opera Company of Middlebury, DON PASQUALE, LES MAMELLES DE TIRÉSIAS and THE IMPRESARIO with Opera Orlando, THE MAGIC FLUTE with Shreveport Opera, LA FILLE DU REGIMENT with Intermountain Opera Bozeman, THE TURN OF THE SCREW with Eugene Opera, Jake Heggie DEAD MAN WALKING for Northwestern University, AS ONE with American Opera Projects, LA CENERENTOLA with Opera in the Ozarks, and THE TENDER LAND with Opera North (NH). 

Sakir has held chorus master, assistant conductor, and coach positions for nearly three dozen productions with Santa Fe Opera, Washington National Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Sarasota Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Pensacola Opera and Opera Boston. 

Sakir holds bachelor degrees in Piano Performance and Music History from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a graduate degree in Orchestral Conducting from The Boston Conservatory. He was a participant in the 2017 OPERA America Leadership Intensive and is a native of Northern California.