Michael Wade Lee Biography

Rigoletto Cast

Michael Wade Lee (Duke)

Critics hail Michael Wade Lee as "that rarity among operatic tenors, a really good-looking, virile, well-built and gifted thespian with a wide-ranging voice to match." A seasoned performer on the operatic stage, he has sung with some of the most respected companies in the world, including the Greek National Opera, New York City Opera, San Antonio Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Mississippi Opera, and the San Francisco Opera Center.

In 2009, Michael makes his northern European debut in Mainz, Germany, as Don José in Carmen with the Staatstheater Mainz. This year has already seen Michael singing with El Paso Opera, and returning to England for another engagement with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. He returns later this year to the United States for his solo concert debut with Midland Symphony after a stopover for Carmen in Dublin, Ireland.

Most recently in 2008/09, Michael performed Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly in Hong Kong, Don José in Carmen with San Antonio Opera and Glyndebourne Festival Opera and in 2007 with Chautauqua Opera and at the Greek National Opera with Denyce Graves. He also performed as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Midland Symphony and New York City Opera. His debut in 2008, with American Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Leon Botstien at Avery Fisher Hall as the tenor soloist for the North American premier of Scherbachyov's symphony, Blokovskaya, was again met with great acclaim. He was also personally chosen by Stephen Schwartz to sing the role of Charles Clayton in the American Opera Project's first public reading of his new opera, Séance On A Wet Afternoon. Before that, he sang the Duke in Rigoletto with Opera In The Heights and Connecticut Lyric Opera. He also sang Turiddu in Chelsea Opera's premiere production of Cavaleria Rusticana, and in July of 2004 performed the role of Male Chorus in Britten's Rape of Lucretia to great acclaim with San Francisco Opera's Merola Opera program. "The best singing came from...tenor Michael Wade Lee, who combined heroism and honeyed tenderness in equal measure" (San Francisco Chronicle 2004).

He has sung with Greek National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, New York City Opera, San Antonio Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Mildand Symphony, Chelsea Opera, Mississippi Opera, Chautauqua Opera, DiCapo Opera, El Paso Opera, Musica Viva, Connecticut Lyric Opera, Raylynmor Opera, and Indiana Opera Theater

A native of Texas, Michael received his BM from Stephen F. Austin State University under the guidance of Dr. Deborah Dalton, and his MM from Indiana University. He was consistently a finalist in the Texoma region's NATS competitions. He also won the Metropolitan Opera National Council encouragement award in Indiana in 2000 as well as being endowed with the prestigious Merola Career Grant and the Pacific Opera Career Grant, both since 2004.