Michael Mayes

A contemporary opera specialist, Mayes has also made notable appearances as Older Thompson in Tom Cipullo Glory Denied at Nashville Opera, Opera Memphis and Fort Worth Opera, Lawrence in Ethel Smyth The Wreckers with Bard SummerScape, Adam in Ethan Gans-Morse Canticle of the Black Madonna with Anima Mundi Productions, Kinesias in Mark Adamo Lysistrata at Fort Worth Opera, Baden-Baden 1927 with Gotham Chamber Opera, and Edward Gaines in Richard Danielpour Margaret Garner at Opera Philadelphia and Opera Carolina. Other Jake Heggie operas Mayes has performed include Manfred Out of the Darkness with Music of Remembrance, Charlie Three Decembers with UrbanArias, Starbuck Moby Dick at Pittsburgh Opera and the Grammy nominated world premiere of Great Scott at Dallas Opera and San Diego Opera.

In 2019/20 season, Mayes makes house debuts at Bergen National Opera as title role Sweeney Todd, at Israeli Opera in his signature role Joseph de Rocher Dead Man Walking, a return to Staatsoper Stuttgart as Thoas Iphigénie en Tauride, and the Barbican London singing Beck Weathers in Joby Talbot Everest with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Back in the US, Mayes reprises the title role Rigoletto at Nashville Opera, Older Jim Thompson Glory Denied at Atlanta Opera, and Tonio Pagliacci at Boston Lyric Opera featuring an immersive installation.

Other recent highlights include title role Nixon in China in his debut at Staatsoper Stuttgart, Beck Weathers Everest at Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Sweeney Todd and Dead Man Walking at Atlanta Opera, title role Wozzeck at Des Moines Metro Opera, Sharpless Madama Butterfly at Pittsburgh Opera, Scarpia Tosca at Central City Opera, Jack Rance La fanciulla del West at Opera Omaha, Alfio Cavalleria Rusticana and Tonio Pagliacci at Madison Opera, Conte di Luna Il trovatore at Seattle Opera and Central City Opera, Escamillo Carmen and title role Rigoletto at Boston Lyric Opera.

2019/20 season / 398 words. Not to be altered without permission.