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 success 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 the Seattle Opera’s Young Artist Program, Alphonse in Donizetti’s LA FAVORITE with the 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 the Santa Fe Opera, and Hermann Ortel DIE MEISTERSINGER at the Tanglewood Music Festival under the baton of Maestro James Levine. In his two years spent as a Filene Young Artist at Wolf Trap Opera Company, Mr. McGee added the roles of Don Geronio IL TURCO IN ITALIA, Snug A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and was featured in the title role of Sondheim’s SWEENEY TODD with the National Symphony Orchestra in the 7000-seat Filene Center.
Mr. McGee made his Carnegie Hall debut with the Opera Orchestra of New York as The Tsar’s Valet in Rimsky-Korsakov’s 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 in Massenet’s LA NAVARRAISE with Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak conducted by Alberto Veronese to be released by Warner Classics.
In 2011 Mr. McGee made his European debut under the baton of Maestro Lorin Maazel. Maazel offered him the leading role of Winston Smith in his opera 1984, at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia, with only a five-day notice. 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 the late Maestro both in theaters around the world, notably with the Hong Kong Philharmonic performing his first performances of Britten’s WAR REQUIEM, at Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari as Morales CARMEN, and at Maazel’s Castleton Festival in Virginia where he has been presented in the roles of Marcello LA BOHÈME, Moralès CARMEN, and featured in recital at the Theater at Little Washington as a Star of the Future.
On the concert stage, Mr. McGee preformed the role of Jesus in Bach’s ST. JOHN PASSION with members of the Manhattan School of Music Orchestra as a charity benefit for Classical Action: Performing Arts Against AIDS. Mr. McGee’s oratorio repertoire additionally includes the roles of the bass soloist in Bach’s MAGNIFICAT, Rossini’s STABAT MATER, Beethoven’s MISSA SOLEMNIS, Mendelssohn’s ELIJAH, the roles of Raphael and Adam in Haydn’s CREATION, Brahm’s EIN DEUTSCHES REQUIEM, Faure’s REQUIEM, and Orff’s CARMINA BURANA which he recently performed with both the Seattle Symphony and the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company. Mr. McGee made is debut with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall singing the dramatic baritone role of “Francesco” in Max von Schillings’ MONA LISA under the baton of Leon Botstein. Mr. McGee has also collaborated with Maestro Botstein and the Orchestra Now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in performances of Mahler’s KINDERTOTENLIEDER.
As a recitalist and art song singer, Mr. McGee has been presented at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, The 92nd Street Y, The Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn, NY, Trinity Concert’s at One at Trinity Church on Wall Street, 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, Nordstrom Hall in Seattle, WA, and, most recently, at the University of North Texas with composer Jake Heggie. As a 2009 Stern Fellow at Songfest, Michael Anthony McGee premiered the cycle “INSOMNIA” by American composer Tom Cipullo. 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 annually in Tirana, Albania. As an international competition winner, Mr. McGee has won the top prize at the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, the Sullivan Foundation, the Mario Lanza Institute International Competition, the Liederkranz Foundation Competition and the Opera Index Competition. Additionally, Michael Anthony McGee was the recipient of the George London Award from the George London Foundation for Singers.
Recent engagements for the Dallas, Texas native include the title role in Rossini’s MAOMETTO II (cover) for the Canadian Opera Company, his role and company debut with the Israeli Opera as “Zurga” in Bizet’s LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES in Tel Aviv, Israel, his debut with the Dallas Symphony as the “First Nazarene” in Strauss’ Salome conducted by Fabio Luisi and as soloist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Chorus in Vaughn Williams’ Five Mystical Songs in addition to completing a CD featuring the music of American composer Tom Cipullo. Michael Anthony McGee recently joined the faculty of the University of North Texas as a Teaching Fellow. He holds both a Bachelors and Masters of Music degrees from The Manhattan School of Music and will be graduating in May of 2022 with a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of North Texas.
