MICHAEL CHANCE has established a worldwide reputation as one of the foremost exponents of the male alto voice in all areas of the classical repertoire, and is in equal demand as an opera, concert and recording artist.
His vocal training with Robert Bruce-Lockhart followed an English Degree at King's College Cambridge where he was also a choral scholar. His first operatic experience was in the Buxton Festival in Ronald Eyre's staging of Cavalli's Giasone which was followed by appearances in Lyon, Cologne, and three seasons with Kent Opera.
Subsequently, he has performed in the Sydney Opera House, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, La Scala Milan, New York, Lisbon, Paris, Amsterdam, and with Covent Garden, Glyndebourne, and English National Opera. His roles include Orfeo (Gluck), Oberon, Giasone, Giustino, Ottone, Athamas, Andronico, and Apollo (Britten's Death in Venice). He has had roles written specially for him by Sir Harrison Birtwhistle (The Second Mrs Kong) and Judith Weir (A Night at the Chinese Opera). Recent festival appearances include Edinburgh, Aix-en-Provence and Salzburg.
His appearances in oratorio and recital have taken him to concert halls all over the world and his list of recordings is extensive. He received a Grammy award for his participation in Handel's Semele for Deutsche Grammophon with John Nelson and Katharine Battle. He has recorded frequently with John Eliot Gardiner, Trevor Pinnock, Franz Bruggen, Ton Koopman and Nicholas McGeegan. On his recently released CD for Deutsche Grammophon he sings solo alto cantatas by Vivaldi with Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert.
His belief in extending the counter-tenor repertoire has prompted new works to be composed for him by Richard Rodney Bennett, Alexander Goehr, Tan Dun, Anthony Powers, John Tavener, and Elvis Costello - amongst others. He sings regularly with the viol consort Fretwork, and recently toured with them to Japan.
Michael Chance is a visiting Professor at the Royal College of Music.
Michael is a founder member of Sulis.