Michelle Trovato
Praised for her “well-rounded, creamy soprano” by Musical America, Michelle Trovato is quickly becoming recognized internationally for her warm and agile Lyric Coloratura Soprano voice and dynamic stage presence. Ms. Trovato's most recent triumphs were to win the Liederkranz Foundation’s Bertha Koempel Award and The International Festival Society Grant Award. In 2011, the Italian-American soprano made her Carnegie Hall Debut at Weill Recital Hall in the Liederkranz Foundation Winners’ Concert and her European Debut in Yalta, Ukraine.
To kick off the 2011-12 season, Michelle traveled to Yalta, Ukraine to sing the World Premiere of Hampson Sisler’s song cycle Five Sonnets from Shakespeare and scenes from I Pagliacci for her debut with the Crimea Philharmonic Orchestra. Ms. Trovato was recently awarded a grant from the International Festival Society and performed as the soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony
No. 9 with the Orchestra of the Bronx. She also made her debuts with the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra as Mimi in
scenes from La Boheme and with Opera at Florham in scenes from Lucia di Lammermoor.
Her busy 2010-11 season began with her role debut as Violetta in La Traviata with Pineda Lyric Opera in New Jersey, and continued with two other major role debuts as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Elite Artists’ Opera in Concert Series and Zerline in the comic opera Fra Diavolo with the Bronx Opera Company. In the summer of 2011, she was a member of the Caramoor Festival’s Bel Canto Young Artists Program under the baton of Will Crutchfield and was an active participant at the
prestigious International Vocal Arts Institute (IVAI) in Montreal under the tutelage of Joan Dornemann.
The 2009/2010 season featured several very impressive role debuts: the title roles in Lucia di Lammermoor with Center Stage
Opera of Los Angeles, and in Anna Bolena with Opera Manhattan, where she was called “the true star of the evening” by critic
David Browning. A favorite with audiences of Utah Festival Opera, she returned for the 2010 season to cover the role of Violetta in La Traviata and as a featured soloist in orchestral concerts and in recital, and was also highlighted in an interview with video clips of her performance in “Carnevale Operafesta” on KSL TV News (NBC). Also in 2010, Ms. Trovato stepped in as a last-minute replacement in the role of Norina in Regina Opera’s production of Don Pasquale to glowing reviews.
In 2009, the dynamic young soprano was honored to be the first American singer to compete in the Grand Finals Concert of the Concorso Internazionale di Canto Lirico “P. Cappuccilli” and was distinguished in the Top Five. She returned to Opera Colorado as a guest artist to sing Despina in Così fan tutte for the student matinee performance with the Colorado Symphony. In the fall of 2008, Michelle joined the Seattle Opera Young Artists Program, singing the roles of Tatyana in Eugene Onegin and Helena in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
In concert, Ms. Trovato appeared as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with both the Empire State Sinfonia and the Jackson Symphony. Other oratorio highlights include: Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Bach’s Magnificat in D, Handel’s Messiah and Israel in Egypt, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Faure’s Requiem, and Mendelssohn’s Hear My Prayer. An accomplished recitalist, she recently made her New York City recital debut at Trinity Wall Street Church in a program of classical song and has presented programs throughout North America.
A graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Michelle has been awarded several scholarships and study grants that enabled her to do a summer study in Perugia, Italy at the University for Foreigners, and the prestigious Chautauqua Institute for Voice. She dominated the Les Azuriales Opera Young Singers’ Competition in France by winning 1st Prize and the Junior Prize for Most Promising Young Singer. In 2009, Encompass New Opera Theatre recommended and sponsored Michelle to represent the U.S. in the 10th Annual Marie Kraja International Opera Competition in Tirana, Albania, where she was awarded 3rd Prize. She has also been awarded an Opera Index, Inc. Encouragement Grant Award, Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridges Grant Awards, and is a winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council District Award, the Concorso Lirico International Opera Competition U.S. Division, Top Prize in the Teaneck Opera Competition, 3rd Prize for the St. Andrew’s Arts Council International Aria Competition in Canada, and the Harold A. Norblum Outstanding Artist Award from Opera Colorado.
Ms. Trovato is a student of Carol Kirkpatrick, author of ARIA READY: The Business of Singing.