MICHAEL DESNOYERS, TENOR


Tenor Michael Desnoyers made his professional debut in 2005 with the Pittsburgh Opera as the Officer in Ariadne auf Naxos under the baton of conductor John Mauceri. He participated in the 2009 Chautauqua Opera Young Artist program where he covered the role of Spoletta (Tosca) and in 2006 participated in Cincinnati Conservatory’s Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca in Lucca, Italy.

Michael’s upcoming performances include Prince Ramiro in Cenerentola with San Francisco Opera’s outreach program Opera à la Carte; and Pang in Turandot with West Bay Opera. His past performances include Don Ottavio with Berkeley Opera and Open Opera; Frederic in Pirates of Penzance with Lamplighters Music Theatre; Don Basilio, the County Attorney in the world premiere of Trifles, and the title role of The Quantum Mechanic with Goat Hall Opera; Dr. Blind with Livermore Valley Opera; Der Narr in Wozzeck with Ensemble Parallèle; Pluto in Orpheus in the Underworld, Sellem in The Rake’s Progress, The Witch in Hansel and Gretel, and Monsieur Cash in Der Schauspieldirektor at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music; and Eisenstein and King Kaspar at Slippery Rock University. Michael has frequently appeared as a concert soloist, having sung Schubert’s Winterreise, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, and Allen Strange’s The King of Handcuffs.

Michael was recently named the Tony Cuervas Award winner at the 2010 Henry and Maria Holt Memorial Scholarship Competition and the third place winner at the 2010 East Bay Opera League competition. He was the winner of the 2004 Chad Williamson Memorial Scholarship Competition, the second place winner at both the 2004 Tri-State NATS vocal competition and 2006 Eastern Regional NATS competitions, and the third place winner of the 2009 San Francisco Conservatory Bi-Annual Composer’s Art Song Competition. While living in the Pittsburgh area, Michael sang with the Pittsburgh Opera Chorus and worked with conductors including Marvin Hamlisch, Antony Walker, Stephen White, and Richard Buckley.

Michael holds a Master’s of Music in vocal performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor’s of Music Degree in vocal performance and music education from Slippery Rock University. He currently studies with César Ulloa.



The MP3 and WMA files on this page were recorded under varying conditions
during actual performances or rehearsals,
so you will need to adjust your volume accordingly.




Un'aura amorosa
Composer: Mozart, from Cosi fan tutte
(file size: 3.82 mb)


Il mio tesoro
Composer: Mozart, from Don Giovanni
(file size: 3.68 mb)


Una Furtiva Lagrima
Composer: Donizetti, from L'elisir d'amore
(file size: 3.91 mb)


Au fond du temple saint
Composer: Bizet, from The Pearl Fishers
Tenor: Michael Desnoyers, Baritone: Eric Neuville
(file size: 5.65 mb)


Corner of the Sky
Composer: Schwartz, from Pippin
(file size: 2.75 mb)


Here I Stand
Composer: Stravinsky, from The Rake's Progress
(file size: 2.44 mb)


Eli Eli
Composer: Traditional Yiddish
(file size: 4.06 mb)


V'shamru
Composer: Joshua Fishbein
(file size: 3.77 mb)


Kol Nidre
Composer: Traditional Hebrew
(file size: 4.90 mb)


Danny Boy
Composer: Traditional Irish
(file size: 6.00 mb)


A Green Lowland of Pianos
Composer: Barber
(file size: 2.82 MB mb)



The following are from Michael's Graduate recital:

Wie sollten wir geheim
Composer: R.Strauss
(file size: 1.64 mb)


When you are old
Composer: Joseph Stillwell, written for Michael
(file size: 3.95 mb)


I fauni
Composer: Respighi
(file size: 1.81 mb)


Acqua
Composer: Respighi
(file size: 2.37 mb)


Lyckokatt
Composer: Einojuhani Rautavaara
(file size: 2.14 mb)



During Michael's undergraduate years, he was tenor section leader and soloist
at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Butler, PA. Here is a recording of his solo
at their 2006 Christmas Eve service. He said that the babies
in the congregation must not have been too happy!

O Holy Night
Composer: A. Adam
(file size: 5.00 mb)





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