Mezzo-soprano opera singer specializing in Baroque and the performance of standard alto concert literature in US and International venues.
Ms. Wrighte is available for Vocal Training and Masterclasses. Please contact via email for availability.
Biography, Page 1
Michelle Wrighte's versatile talent has taken her all over the United States performing many lead roles. The Iowa-born mezzo-soprano earned critical praise for her portrayal of Emilia opposite Ben Heppner, Renae Fleming, and Lucio Gallo -- in Sir Peter Hall's internationally acclaimed new production of Otello, which opened the 2001-02 season of Lyric Opera of Chicago. During Ms. Wrighte's past seasons at Lyric Opera she has also performed the roles of Mercedes/Carmen, Giovanna/Rigoletto, the Tango Singer/The Great Gatsby, the Herdswoman/Jenufa, and the Second Apparition/Macbeth. A passionate advocate of Baroque opera, she has been heard as Armindo/Handel's Partenope in Francisco Negrin's critically acclaimed Glimmerglass Opera production, conducted by Harry Bicket; Ino/Handel's Semele at the renowned Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy; and as both Virtue and the Nurse/Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea at Utah opera.
The mezzo has made an indelible impression nationwide in an unusually wide variety of repertoire with important companies. Ms. Wrighte's portrayal of Meg Page/Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor has been heard at Indianapolis Opera, and she sang Miss Dorothy Snite/Susa's Black River at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Other operatic Highlights include: Prince Ramiro in La Finta Giardiniera for San Francisco Opera Center, The Fox in The Cunning Little Vixen at Tulsa Opera, Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti at Tampa Opera, Isabella in L'italiana in Algeri at Pamiro Opera, Cenerentola in La Cenerentola for the Lyric Opera of Chicago's Opera in the Neighborhood, Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti at Tampa Opera and Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro at L'opera Piccola where "Michelle Wrighte sang both arias charmingly," according to the Chicago Tribune.
While at the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists, now known as the Ryan Opera Center, Ms. Wrighte was heard in an operatic concert at the Ravinia Festival; as Zerlina/Don Giovanni and Dorabella/Cose fan tutte at the Grant Park Music; and in her debut with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, singing Bernstein's Songfest. She also collaborated with Lyric's Opera's two composers-in-residence, premiering Ricky Ian Gordon's song "Friend" and creating the role of Lucy Cross in the workshop production of Michael John LaChiusa's Lovers and Friends (Chautauqua Variations).
Biography, Page 2
A highly successful concert artist, Ms. Wrighte has sung the alto solos in Bach's St. John Passion under the baton of Robert Shaw, Handel's Messiah and Mozart's Requiem with the Elgin Symphony and Beethoven's Symphony No.9 with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and the Decatur Symphony. Michelle has performed the alto solos of Bach's B minor Mass and Handel's Messiah with The Choral Society of Durham.
Ms. Wrighte was a featured recitalist for the San Francisco Opera with performances of Schumann's Frauenliebe und Leben in San Francisco and Oakland, CA., and also with Ned Rorem's west coast premiere of song cycle, Evidence of Things Not Seen at San Francisco's 9th Other Minds Festival with the composer in attendance. Ms. Wrighte was also featured in the prestigious New Works Sampler for OPERA America's 2001 annual conference in Atlanta, for which she sang works by John Adams, Michael Ching, and Tobias Picker.
Michelle was a featured soloist in an operatic concert at the 20th International Saint-Barthelemy Music Festival in the French Caribbean. She mesmerized the audience with a riveting rendition of Carmen's Habanera and sang the powerful ensemble pieces of Rosenkavalier Trio and the Rigoletto Quartet. Michelle followed her St. Bart's debut with another featured soloist role in Oak Park's fifth annual Handel Week. Michelle brilliantly performed several rare secular Handel cantatas thrilling an audience of Baroque enthusiasts at The 5th annual Handel Week in Oak Park IL. Ms. Wrighte was also featured at Oak Park's Handel Week in the title role of Ezio in 2006 and the role of Micah in Handel's Samson in 2007.
The mezzo-soprano was a 1998 national finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Ms. Wrighte has a B.M. from Drake University, a M.M. from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and a Certificate of Opera Studies from Temple University.
Resume
MICHELLE WRIGHTE, mezzo-soprano
1450 S. Fairfield Ave Lombard IL 60148
h-630-613-9213 c-708-935-3752
mwrighte@hotmail.com
ROLE, OPERA, COMPANY, YEAR
Cherubino, Le Nozze di Figaro, L'Opera Piccola, 2004
Cenerentola, La Cenerentola, L.O.C.A.A., 2003
Ruggiero*, Alcina, San Francisco Opera, 2002
Varvara*, Kat'a Kabanova, San Francisco Opera, 2002
Isabella, L'Italiana in Algeri, Pamiro Opera, 2002
Prince Ramiro, La Finta Giardiniera, San Francisco Opera, 2002
The Fox, The Cunning Little Vixen, Tulsa Opera, 2002
Dinah, Trouble in Tahiti, Tampa Opera, 2002
Emilia, Otello, Lyric Opera of Chicago, 2001
Romeo*, I Capuleti e I Montecchi, Lyric Opera of Chicago, 2001
Second Lady, The Magic Flute, Opera Festival of N.J., 2001
Pastuchyna, Jenufa, Lyric Opera of Chicago, 2000
Maddelena*, Giovanna, Rigoletto, Lyric Opera of Chicago, 2000
Myrtle Wilson* - Tango Singer, The Great Gatsby, Lyric Opera of Chicago, 2000
Dorabella, Cosi fan tutte, Grant Park Music Festival, 2000
Mercedes, Carmen, Lyric Opera of Chicago, 2000
Carmen*, Carmen, Lyric Opera of Chicago, 2000
Brangaena*, Tristan und Isolde, Lyric Opera of Chicago, 2000
Prince Orlofsky*, Die Fledermaus, Lyric Opera of Chicago, 1999
Second Apparition, Macbeth, Lyric Opera of Chicago, 1999
Bradamante*, Alcina, Lyric Opera of Chicago, 1999
Meg Page*, Falstaff, Lyric Opera of Chicago, 1999
Lucy Cross, Enigma Variations (LaChiusa), Lyric Opera of Chicago, 1999
Zerlina, Don Giovanni, Grant Park Music Festival, 1999
Anna Hope, The Mother of Us All, Glimmerglass Opera, 1998
Armindo, Partenope, Glimmerglass Opera, 1998
Flora, La Traviata, Utah Opera, 1998
Ottavia*, Virtu, Nurse, L'incoronazione di Poppea, Utah Opera, 1998
Stephano*, Gertrude, Romeo et Juliette, Utah Opera, 1998
Ino, Semele, Spoleto Festival (Italy), 1997
*cover
APPRENTICESHIPS/AWARDS:
Lyric Opera Center for American Artists 1999-2001
Metropolitan Opera National Council Finalists 1998
EDUCATION:
Drake University, Des Moines, IA: B.M. Vocal Performance
University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana: M.M. Vocal Performance
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA: Professional Studies in Opera
TEACHERS and COACHES:
Trish McCaffrey, Gianna Rolandi-Davis, H.Wesley Balk, Allen Darling, Joan Dornemann, Gary Magby, Kevin Murphy, John Parr, Charles Riecher, Craig Ruttenberg, John Wustman
CONDUCTORS:
Daniel Beckwith, Randall Behr, Harry Bicket, Richard Buckley, Bruno Campanella, Sir Andrew Davis, Patrick Hansen, Fabio Luisi, Asher Fisch, Hal France, Cal Stewart Kellogg, Yoel Levi, Stephen Lord, Rossen Milanov, Martin Pearlman, Stewart Robertson, Robert Shaw, David Stahl
DIRECTORS:
Christopher Alden, David Alden, Sandra Bernhard, Linda Brovsky, John Copley, Michael Ehrman, Colin Graham, Sir Peter Hall, Sam Helfgot, Roman Hurko, Richard Jones, Mark Lamos, Matthew Lata, Jonathan Miller