MICHAEL KELLY
BARITONE/LIBRETTIST
BIOGRAPHY
Baritone and librettist Michael Kelly has been praised as “expressive and dynamic” and “vocally splendid," having performed with the Santa Fe Opera, Carnegie Hall, New York City Opera, the New World Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and the Cincinnati May Festival.
Captivating audiences with his “exquisitely self-effacing” artistry, Mr. Kelly is a versatile and innovative vocalist, having performed with many of America’s leading orchestras and opera companies, including: The Cleveland Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Houston Symphony, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, The Mostly Mozart Festival, Opernhaus Zurich, Chicago Opera Theater, Gotham Chamber Opera, Mark Morris Dance Group, Boston Early Music Festival, and Ars Lyrica. His repertoire ranges from baroque to modern, leading him to collaborate with some of today’s most celebrated composers, including Matthew Aucoin, David Del Tredici, Mohammed Fairouz, John Glover, Ricky Ian Gordon, Martin Hennessy, Laura Kaminsky, Libby Larsen, David T. Little, Lowell Liebermann, Ben Moore, John Musto, David Sisco, and David Wolfson.
Last season, Mr. Kelly made an exciting role and house début as Harvey Milk in Opera Parallèle and Opera Theatre of St. Louis’ world premiere production of Harvey Milk Reimagined. In addition, he appeared as a featured soloist in Giants in the Earth with South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, Dona Nobis Pacem with MidAmerica Productions, and a concert of holiday carols with Opera Edwardsville. This season, Mr. Kelly appears as a soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with the Savannah Philharmonic.
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In recent seasons he has been heard in Die schöne Müllerin with celebrated guitarist David Leisner, in Hennessy/Kitsakos’ solo cabaret The Pleasing Recollection at 54 Below, in the role of Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, baritone soloist in Ein deutsches Requiem, and the title role in the NY premiere of Carlisle Floyd’s last opera Prince of Players. In the 2023-2024 season, he returned to Carnegie Hall as baritone soloist in the world premiere of Kevin Boesiger’s Songs of Hope, joined The Metropolitan Opera for the workshop performance of Grounded, performed a solo cabaret at Joe’s Pub, covered the role of Hortensius in La fille du régiment with Lyric Opera of Chicago, joined Opera on the Avalon for the world premiere of Laura Kaminsky’s February, appeared at Joe’s Pub in the cabaret Wonderful Town, and débuted with Kentucky Opera as Hannah Before in their production of As One. Highlights of past seasons include Bernstein’s Mass with the Mostly Mozart Festival under the baton of Louis Langrée and gave the world premiere of a new chamber work by David Del Tredici at NYC's Symphony Space.
Mr. Kelly is also an accomplished librettist; his poetry has been set by composers John Glover and Ben Moore. His newest project, an operatic adaptation of Wendy Macleod’s play The House of Yes, with composer Kathy Kelly, was commissioned by Wolf Trap Opera and will premiere there in 2025, following a workshop in 2024.
He made his European début with Opernhaus Zürich in Handel’s Rinaldo with William Christie and his French début with Opéra du Châtelet. He has performed in opera, chamber, and symphonic works under the batons of such conductors as Herbert Blomstedt, Michael Christie, Andreas Delfs, Jane Glover, Benton Hess, Louis Langrée, James Levine, Anne Manson, Nicholas McGegan, Steven Osgood, Leonard Slatkin, and Stephen Stubbs. Michael has also collaborated in recital with celebrated pianists David Fung, Kathleen Kelly, Malcolm Martineau, Shannon McGinnis, Spencer Myer, Jonathan Ware, Howard Watkins and Brian Zeger.
Kelly is a passionate recital and chamber music interpreter and was a founder and artistic director of NY’s SongFusion and the Room to Breathe concert series. He can be heard on multiple recordings as well as a documentary called Secret Music, celebrating the life and compositions of David Del Tredici. In 2018, NewMusicShelf released Michael’s curated baritone volume of their Anthology of New Music: a collection of art songs by living composers. Recently, Michael was featured on the star-studded recording of Ben Moore’s songs Gathering, and his solo album Die Schöne Müllerin with David Leisner was released last fall. Both are available to stream everywhere.
Mr. Kelly won first prizes in 2013’s Positively Poulenc competition and 2011’s Joy in Singing competition. He is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and The Juilliard School and was a member of the Opernstudio at Opernhaus Zürich.
Current as of September 1, 2025
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
“... a master storyteller-singer…” – American Record Guide
Die schöne Müllerin – “More than most recordings, this one makes you feel you are in the presence of a master storyteller-singer more than being at a traditional recital. Kelly uses his light lyric voice effectively with prudently applied rubato and lovely soft singing. His articulation of the text is lucid and is as thoughtfully delivered as Bostridge's but without a sense of fussiness. He uses a great range of vocal coloring and dynamics effectively, from a near whispering in 'Die Liebe Farbe' to snarling indignation in 'Der Jager.'"
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"full command of the material" – Front Row Center
"The Pleasing Recollection" – "Kelly has full command of the material, from every wink of a shoulder to a dramatic high note, revealing a tenor-like sweetness at the top of this range, bolstered by the strength of his baritone center. With a simple turning of his back, a stroll around a chair to sit down again, or leaning on the piano, Kelly utilizes the whole space, refreshing the page with each intentional gesture."
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"as mesmerizing as it was emotionally devastating" – Seen and Heard International
"Testaments", Brooklyn Art Song Society – "Baritone Michael Kelly’s performance of the Songs and Proverbs of William Blake was as mesmerizing as it was emotionally devastating. His voice dripped with irony as he sang Proverb II [...] and the combination of lightness and horror that he instilled into ‘The Chimney-Sweeper’ made the plight of the young lad heart-wrenching."
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"his singing is sensational" – Talkin' Broadway
Kiss Me Kate, St. Petersburg Opera Company – "Michael Kelly plays Fred Graham and his singing is sensational ... His diction is superb, and he rattles off the Shakespearean dialogue ... with aplomb."
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“a versatile baritone” – New York Classical Review
Prince of Players, Little Opera Theatre of New York – “As the title character, Michael Kelly showed a versatile baritone, first in scenes requiring him to portray a woman singing and later, a man … Kelly’s sensitive acting chops were impressive.”
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“captures the fear and wonder of the character’s younger self” – Orlando Sentinel
As One, Opera Orlando – “Though the English libretto is projected, the singers’ diction is understandable without reading. Michael Kelly as “Hannah (Before)” captures the fear and wonder of the character’s younger self, while Elise Quagliata, as “Hannah (After),” has a more mature sensibility. Both find the moments of pain — and the moments of radiance.”
REPRESENTATIVES
General