Michael McCown grew up in Abilene, Texas, where he was active in music from an early age in the school and church. It was at First Baptist Church in Abilene where, at 13, he sang his first operatic role, Amahl in Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors. He stayed close to home to attend Hardin-Simmons University, where he continued to build his vocal and artistic foundation through choral and operatic training, having the opportunity to sing, among others, the title role in Britten's Albert Herring and Rinuccio in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi with the Abilene Collegiate Opera. Michael spent his summers taking courses at HSU and performing with the Abilene Opera Association, where he had his first opportunities to sing Gastone in Puccini's La Traviata, and Erster Geharnischter in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte.
After completion of a Bachelor of Music degree with majors in Vocal Performance and Music Education in 1997, Michael headed to Boston to attend New England Conservatory. During two years in Boston, Michael continued gathering experience and training across various musical periods and genres. Naturally, Michael was involved in the opera department, singing Lysander in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, but he also traveled to Bingen am Rhein with a select group to take part in the 900th-birthday celebrations for Hildegard von Bingen. In Bingen, the group performed concerts of her music in several venues, including the Kölner Dom. During his time at NEC, Michael also participated as a soloist in A Taste of Passover, a concert which celebrated Jewish history, traditions, and culture and which was hosted by Theodore Bikel and Chasia Segal. The concert was recorded, released as a CD and a DVD, and has been aired on PBS.
During the summer months of his Master's studies, Michael stayed busy by travelling to Aldeburgh, England in 1998 to sing Francis Flute in the Britten-Pears Institute's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which was performed in Jubilee Hall. The following summer would see Michael head to San Francisco to participate in the Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute (BASOTI), where he had the opportunity to perform full acts of several major works as well as the role of Martin in Copland's The Tender Land.
Michael's professional career began in Salt Lake City as an apprentice with Utah Opera's Young Artist Program where he traveled throughout the state teaching school children of all ages about opera and what is involved in becoming and being an opera singer. His next step was to Frankfurt am Main to join the ensemble at Oper Frankfurt. During his tenure in Frankfurt, Michael has been extremely active in a wide variety of operatic roles, including standards such as Spoletta (Tosca), Monostatos (Die Zauberflöte), Gastone (La Traviata), die Knusperhexe (Hänsel und Gretel), and Basilio and Don Curzio (Le Nozze di Figaro). He has also taken on roles in lesser-known and contemporary pieces such as Prince Hérisson de Porc-Epic (L'Étoile), Antonio (The Tempest, Adès), Pellerin (Volo di Notte), and Prior Walter (Angels in America). Michael particularly enjoys the music of Benjamin Britten and, along with previously-mentioned roles, has had the opportunity to sing in productions of Peter Grimes, Billy Budd, and Death in Venice. He will be singing Johnny Inkslinger this fall in Oper Frankfurt's production of Paul Bunyan.
During Michael's career he has had the pleasure of working with some of the world's leading directors and conductors. Outside of Frankfurt, Michael has performed at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Aalto Theater, Staatstheater Nürnberg, Berliner Philharmonie, Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Staatstheater Darmstadt, and Theater an der Wien, among others.
After completion of a Bachelor of Music degree with majors in Vocal Performance and Music Education in 1997, Michael headed to Boston to attend New England Conservatory. During two years in Boston, Michael continued gathering experience and training across various musical periods and genres. Naturally, Michael was involved in the opera department, singing Lysander in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, but he also traveled to Bingen am Rhein with a select group to take part in the 900th-birthday celebrations for Hildegard von Bingen. In Bingen, the group performed concerts of her music in several venues, including the Kölner Dom. During his time at NEC, Michael also participated as a soloist in A Taste of Passover, a concert which celebrated Jewish history, traditions, and culture and which was hosted by Theodore Bikel and Chasia Segal. The concert was recorded, released as a CD and a DVD, and has been aired on PBS.
During the summer months of his Master's studies, Michael stayed busy by travelling to Aldeburgh, England in 1998 to sing Francis Flute in the Britten-Pears Institute's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which was performed in Jubilee Hall. The following summer would see Michael head to San Francisco to participate in the Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute (BASOTI), where he had the opportunity to perform full acts of several major works as well as the role of Martin in Copland's The Tender Land.
Michael's professional career began in Salt Lake City as an apprentice with Utah Opera's Young Artist Program where he traveled throughout the state teaching school children of all ages about opera and what is involved in becoming and being an opera singer. His next step was to Frankfurt am Main to join the ensemble at Oper Frankfurt. During his tenure in Frankfurt, Michael has been extremely active in a wide variety of operatic roles, including standards such as Spoletta (Tosca), Monostatos (Die Zauberflöte), Gastone (La Traviata), die Knusperhexe (Hänsel und Gretel), and Basilio and Don Curzio (Le Nozze di Figaro). He has also taken on roles in lesser-known and contemporary pieces such as Prince Hérisson de Porc-Epic (L'Étoile), Antonio (The Tempest, Adès), Pellerin (Volo di Notte), and Prior Walter (Angels in America). Michael particularly enjoys the music of Benjamin Britten and, along with previously-mentioned roles, has had the opportunity to sing in productions of Peter Grimes, Billy Budd, and Death in Venice. He will be singing Johnny Inkslinger this fall in Oper Frankfurt's production of Paul Bunyan.
During Michael's career he has had the pleasure of working with some of the world's leading directors and conductors. Outside of Frankfurt, Michael has performed at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Aalto Theater, Staatstheater Nürnberg, Berliner Philharmonie, Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Staatstheater Darmstadt, and Theater an der Wien, among others.