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Michael George, established as one of Britain’s most versatile bass-baritones, was a chorister at King's College, Cambridge under Sir David Willcocks. He studied at the Royal College of Music, where he was a major prize-winner.
Michael George has appeared with all the leading UK orchestras and ensembles, has sung throughout Britain at all the major festivals and has performed extensively abroad. He has worked under Neville Marriner, Muti, John Eliot Gardiner, Roger Norrington, Charles Mackerras, Nagano, Trevor Pinnock, Richard Hickox, Harry Christophers, Handley, Christopher Hogwood, Robert King, Malgoire, Sanderling, Zinman and Philip Pickett.
Michael George's recordings include Haydn's Creation (Decca), Elgar's Dream of Gerontius (EMI Eminence), Bach's St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) (Columns Classics), Händel’s Samson (Sixteen/Collins) Apollo and Daphne (Chandos), Monteverdi's Orfeo (Decca), Händel's Acis and Galatea (Decca), Stainer’s Crucifixion (Chandos), Finzi's Let us Garlands Bring with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under Vernon Handley (BMG Conifer), Händel's Messiah and Bach's St John Passion (BWV 245) with The Sixteen (both for Hyperion), Bach’s Mass in B Minor (BWV 232) (Collins) and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Missa Solemnis (Nimbus). He has completed a project to record all the Purcell Odes, Church Anthems and Songs for Hyperion with The King's Consort. Other recordings with The King's Consort include Bach’s Mass in B Minor (BWV 232) and several Händel works including Joshua, Judas Maccabaeus, Acis and Galatea, Deborah, Ottone, Alexander Balus and The Occasional Oratorio. Recent releases (2001) include Schubert’s Mass in A Flat with John Eliot Gardiner (Philips Classics), Boyce Odes with the Hanover Band (ASV) and Bach Cantatas and Masses with King’s College Cambridge/Stephen Cleobury (EMI).
Recent engagements include the St Matthew Passion (BWV 245) with Collegium Musicum 90, Mendelssohn’s St Paul in Vienna with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields under Sir Neville Marriner, Elgar’s Caractacus with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic/Edo de Waart in Amsterdam, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Hallé Orchestra, Haydn’s Die Jahreszeiten in Düsseldorf, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Neville Marriner in Australia, a major European tour of the Messiah with The Sixteen, appearances with the Vienna Philharmonic for Bach’s B Minor Mass (BWV 232) with Roger Norrington, Bach’s St John Passion (BWV 232) with Gustav Leonhardt/Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and Rossini’s Stabat mater with the Brabant Orchestra (also televised). Engagements last season include Mozart C minor Mass with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Mozart Requiem with the Vienna Philharmonic/Neville Marriner, Petite messe solenelle with the BBC Philharmonic/Carlo Rizzi, Messiah with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and on tour with the Academy of Ancient Music, Mozart’s Coronation Mass with the RLPO, Bach’s St. John Passion (BWV 245) with the LPO/Mark Elder and for his debut with English National Opera, and the Matthew Passion (BWV 244) with The Bach Choir. Current engagements and future plans (2001) include the Creation with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields in Spain and also with the BBC Philharmonic at the Bridgewater Hall and at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Mussorgsky’s Songs and Dances of Death with the Brabants Orkest, Bach's B minor Mass (BWV 232) with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and the RLPO, a tour of the Messiah with The Sixteen in Europe and Japan, Verdi’s Requiem with the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland Pfalz, Bach’s Magnificat (BWV 243) at the Athens Concert Hall, Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast for RTE Dublin, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244) with the Ulster Orchestra, the Messiah, Belshazzar’s Feast and Elgar’s The Apostles for Gloucester Three Choirs Festival and Händel’s Alexander’s Feast with The Sixteen for The Covent Garden Festival. |
