Emerging Artist: Michael Lafferty

British Baritone, Michael Lafferty, is a dynamic artist, praised for the “melting warmth” of his voice, and “demonstrable affection and involvement” of his performances. (Opera Today - Hurn Court Opera recital, Salisbury Arts Centre, Nov ‘19). He currently studies on the Opera School at Guildhall School of Music and Drama under the tutelage of David Pollard, where he is generously supported by The Behrens Foundation, The Drake Calleja Trust and Countess of Munster Musical Trust. Prior to his studies at Guildhall, Michael studied at Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin under the tutelage of Thomas Quasthoff, and graduated from Trinity Laban Conservatoire with a first-class honours Bachelor degree in 2018.

He has had success in numerous competitions, with highlights including First prizes at the AESS Patricia Routledge National English Song Competition 2021, Freda Parry Foundation Competition 2017 and the Guildhall English Song Prize 2021. Other successes include finalist for the 2021 Kathleen Ferrier Awards, third prize and audience prize at the Mozart Singing Competition 2022 and winner of the ‘Prix Andre-Bacand Prize’ for ‘Best Canadian work’ at the CMIM Competition 2022 in Montreal.

Michael’s Operatic stage debut was in 2018 as Tarquinius for Trinity Laban’s The Rape of Lucretia. Since then, Michael has performed the roles of Dr.Falke (Die Fledermaus) and Papageno (Die Zauberflöte), as well as scenes from Pelléas et Méllisande (Pelléas), Albert Herring (Sid) and Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni). At Guildhall, Michael has sung roles such as Figaro (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Prince Andrei (Prokofiev, War and Peace), Fritz (Korngold, Die Tote Stadt), Ramiro (Ravel, L’Heure Espangnol), and Nottingham (Donizetti, Roberto Devereux).  

Performance highlights include Schumann’s ‘Requiem für Mignon’ as a soloist under the baton of Sir John Eliot Gardiner for Salzurger Festpiele 2021, Handel’s 'Messiah' for Academy of St.Martin in the Fields, Mozart's 'Requiem' for Battersea Choral Society and Clifton International Festival, and Guglielmo (cover) for Nevill Holt Opera's 2019 production of Mozart's Cosi fan Tutte.  Upcoming engagements include ‘Black -El Payaso’ (Sorozábal) for Grimeborn Festival, recitals in Paxos, Greece for the Paxos Music Festival and a recital of Poulenc Songs for London Song Festival in November 2022.