Biography
tenor
Hailed in Opera News as possessing “one of the most beautiful lyric tenor instruments around,” Irish-Canadian tenor Michael Colvin has appeared to critical acclaim on opera and concert stages throughout Canada, the United States, the U.K., and Europe.
In the 2025/2026 season, Michael returned to the Canadian Opera Company for Massenet’s Werther, and enjoyed concert engagements with the Grand Philharmonic Choir and Peterborough Singers. Upcoming, he looks forward to returning to the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir for Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, as well as both Opéra national de Paris and Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège.
The 2024/2025 season saw appearances with the Canadian Opera Company as The Fool in Berg’s Wozzeck and Triquet in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, and a debut at Spain’s Les Arts Valencia, appearing as l’Aumonier in Robert Carsen’s acclaimed production of Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites.
Further recent highlights include appearances at Madrid’s Teatro Real in Reimann’s Lear, and Staatsoper Hamburg in Lucia di Lammermoor, as well as returns to the Canadian Opera Company (Le nozze di Figaro, Salome), Opéra National de Paris (Tosca, The Magic Flute), Teatro alla Scala (Peter Grimes) and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for Handel’s Messiah. Additionally, he joined the Peterborough Singers and the Elmer Isler Singers for Bach’s St Matthew Passion and Handel’s Messiah respectively.
Aribert Reimann’s Lear was the vehicle for his Salzburg and Maggio Musicale (Florence) debuts, with performance as Cornwall noted for “vocal verve, perfect technique and exemplary diction” (Neue Musikzeitung). He enjoyed further performances of this role with Opéra national de Paris. Recent seasons have included Herodes in Salome for English National Opera, Messiah for Symphony Nova Scotia, Dr. Caius in Vlaanderen Opera’s Falstaff, Bob Boles in Peter Grimes with Monte Carlo Opera, Bardolfo in Falstaff for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and Monostatos in Canadian Opera Company’s Die Zauberflöte.