Berlin – Germany

Michael Smallwood was originally a member of the Opera Studio of the HAMBURG STATE OPERA and of the ensemble at AALTO THEATER ESSEN.  He subsequently established himself as a regular principal artist at the STAATSOPER BERLIN and has been engaged by such leading companies as GLYNDEBOURNE FESTIVAL OPERA, OPERA NATIONAL DE PARIS and SANTA FE OPERA, by  THEATER AN DER WIEN where he has appeared as Monostatos in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE with the AKADEMIE FÜR ALTE MUSIK and conductor, René Jacobs, and for such roles as Ferrando in COSI FAN TUTTE with conductor William Christie in Lyon and for Monteverdi’s L’ORFEO with Jane Glover in Chicago.

His most recent performances have included the role of Mercure in HIPPOLYTE ET ARICIE at the STAATSOPER BERLIN with Sir Simon Rattle, Spoleta in Christophe Honoré’s production of TOSCA for OPERA DE LYON and at the AIX EN PROVENCE FESTIVAL and the role of the Forest Crow in Abrahamsen’s THE SNOW QUEEN for OPERA DU RHIN in 2021.

2021 has also included the role of the Brother in Weill’s SEVEN DEADLY SINS and Billy in  MAHAGONNY SONGSPIEL for LA SCALA MILAN in streamed performances conducted by Riccardo Chailly and the Second Witch/Spirit in STAATSOPER BERLIN‘s season of DIDO & AENEAS with the AKADEMIE FÜR ALTE MUSIK BERLIN with conductor, Christopher Moulds.

In 2022 he returned to NEDERLANDSE REISOPERA, his past performances including Scaramuccio in ARIADNE AUF NAXOS, for the role of The Witch in HANSEL & GRETEL and appeared as Tamino in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE for AALTO THEATER ESSEN in 2023.  He has returned to the same role to make his debut for OPERA AUSTRALIA in 2024.

On the concert stage Smallwood’s performances include concerts of Bach cantatas with CITÉ DE LA MUSIQUE in Paris, Nono’s IL CANTO SOSPESO with the HAMBURG STATE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, CARMINA BURANA conducted by Andreas Henning with the STAATSKAPELLE HALLE and also with the DUSSELDORF SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Mozart’s DAVIDE PENITENTE with the ESSEN PHILHARMONIC and REQUIEM with the LYON OPERA ORCHESTRA, Haydn’s CREATION with the LONDON SYMPHONY CHORUS, Handel’s MESSIAH with the VOCAL CONCERT DRESDEN, Beethoven’s SYMPHONY NO.9 in performances with the POTSDAM CHAMBER ORCHESTRA conducted by Michael Sanderling, MISSA SOLEMNIS with the ST GALLEN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA under Eduard Meier, Bach’s ST. MATTHEW PASSION with conductor, Christof Spering’s DAS NEUE ORCHESTER in Cologne, both the Evangelist and tenor soloist in ST JOHN PASSION for CONCERTO BRANDENBURG, the MASS IN B MINOR with STAATSKAPELLE HALLE and CPE Bach’s MAGNIFICAT with the DRESDEN PHILHARMONIC.

His recordings include the DVD of the Robert Carsen production of CAPRICCIO, starring Renee Fleming, from the OPERA NATIONAL DE PARIS conducted by Ulf Schirmer, Pedrillo in the NETHERLANDS OPERA’s  DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL, Willy Decker’s MOSES & AARON at the RUHR TRIENNALE, Don Ottavio in the Jean-Yves Ruf production of DON GIOVANNI at OPERA DE DIJON and the award-winning DVD of David Poutney’s production of Zimmerman’S DIE SOLDATEN, also in the RUHR TRIENNALE production.  He has appeared in the world premiere recording of Bruch’s ARMINIUS, conducted by Hermann Max, with the GÖTTINGEN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and in the live recording, in the role of Flute, in the GLYNDEBOURNE FESTIVAL OPERA’s  A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM conducted by Marek Janowski and also the roles of Dritte Knappe in PARSIFAL and Vogelsang in DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG on CD with the BERLIN RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, again conducted by Marek Janowski.

© Weaver Artist Management 2024

 

All enquiries to Jeff Weaver at Weaver Artist Management