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The American mezzo-soprano, choral conductor and musiusic educator, Michelle Oesterle, was immersed in the world of music at a very early age having been the stepdaughter of Metropolitan Opera star Eleanor Steber. Her early music education was in church music as a member of an 800-voice music program. This experience proved to be the foundation for her life-long passion. She studied at Kent State University and Alma College. She studied with Simon Carrington, Dr. Rene Clausen, Dr. Anton Armstrong, and Doreen Rao, where she was selected as a Master Conductor for a group of over 250 singers, conductors and composers from around the world. In the late 2000's she performed as a singer with the Juilliard Choral Union (Director: Judith Clurman).
Using her life experiences, Michelle Oesterle has founded several choruses and initiated numerous innovative projects. She has been an inspirational teacher and mentor to adult and children’s choruses. She founded and directed The Ensemble, an adult chorus, for twelve years in Cleveland, Ohio. They commercially released two recordings and premiered several works. In Ohio and Michigan she was a public music educator for thousands of children. Subsequently, she directed The Festival of Voices adult choir and The Marble Collegiate Children’s Choir which, under her direction, was featured in the 2007 nationally-televised CBS Christmas Eve special.
These experiences led Michelle Oesterle to the founding in October 2011 the Manhattan Girls Chorus, which provides a nurturing community for young women focused on personal growth, self-esteem, and performing excellence. As the Artistic Director of the Manhattan Girls Chorus she empowers young women to find their voice by providing a community of trust and caring. She has prepared choruses for major American and international orchestras and renowned performing artists including Israel Philharmonic Orchestra with Maestro Zubin Mehta (2017-2018), American Symphony Orchestra with Maestro Leon Botstein, Thomas Hampson, Eric Owens, Camille Zamora, Sting, Steven Tyler, Idina Menzel, Bruce Springsteen and Demi Lovato. Events have ranged from the nationally-televised CBS Christmas Special, the Opening Ceremony for the Statue of Liberty Museum live-streamed on ABC News, the United Nations Ambassador’s Ball, and the Women in the World Summit at Lincoln Center, to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Ms. Oesterle has conducted numerous World Premieres.
Michelle Oesterle was co-producer of the world premiere recording of Le Dernier Sorcier by Pauline Viardot, with Eric Owens, Jamie Barton, Camille Zamora, Adriana Zabala, Michael Slattery, Myra Huang and Manhattan Girls Chorus, published by Bridge Records and selected for the “Critic’s Choice” award from Opera News.
In addition, Michelle Oesterle has performed under the baton of some of the world’s leading conductors, including Robert Shaw, Sir Simon Rattle (Grammy nomination – William Walton: Symphony No. 1, Belshazzar’s Feast with Thomas Hampson, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra Chorus), Pierre Boulez (Grammy Award – Berlioz: Tristia with Cleveland Orchestra & Cleveland Orchestra Chorus), Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Christoph von Dohnányi, Franz Welser-Most, Valery Gergiev, and Andrew Davis among others, at prestigious venues including Verbier Festival, Salzburg Festival, Carnegie Hall, Caledonian Hall – Oxford, Symphony Hall – Birmingham, Severance Hall – Cleveland, and Lincoln Center among others around the world. She currently lives in New York City. |
