The American harpsichordist, organist and choral conductor, Michael Beattie, is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and Boston University. He has established himself as a musician of unusual versatility, and through his work as a keyboard player, vocal coach, and conductor.
A respected collaborative pianist and vocal coach, Michael Beattie has taught diction and accompanying at Boston University. He has been in charge of musical preparation for some of Boston's outstanding musical events, including Boston Lyric Opera's Xerxes (soloists) and Emmanuel Music's St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244) (chorus). In 1998 he conducted the Boston premiere of George Frideric Handel's Rodelinda to critical acclaim. He has toured in Europe and in this country as Assistant Conductor of Peter Sellars' controversial stagings of the W.A. Mozart/Da Ponte operas. Future engagements as harpsichordist and organist include the Carmel Bach Festival and Florida Grand Opera. He has prepared numerous operatic productions for Boston University's Opera Institute and maintains an active coaching studio.
As a pianist, Michael Beattie has performed at the Banff, Athens, and Tanglewood festivals and Music from Salem. World premieres to his credit include works by John Harbison, Andrew Imbrie, Earl Kim, and Andy Vores. He has also served as rehearsal pianist for virtually all of Boston's major musical organizations, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He was included in the Boston Globe's roundup of the best classical performances of 1995.
Michael Beattie has recently been named Associate Conductor of Boston's Emmanuel Music (since December 2009), where he has been active as keyboard soloist and musical assistant since 1988. An accomplished continuo player, he has peformed more than 150 of J.S. Bach's sacred cantatas at Emmanuel Church under such conductors as Seiji Ozawa, Christopher Hogwood, John Harbison, Christoph Wolff, as well as Music Director Craig Smith. He has made numerous appearances as harpsichordist, organist, and forepianist with the Handel and Haydn Society, Cantata Singers, Boston Baroque, Boston Lyric Opera, Emmanuel Music, the Greenleaf Chamber Players (NYC), and the Mark Morris Dance Group. He is a founding member and harpsichordist of Favella Lyrica.
Michael Beattie has recorded for Koch International Classics. He currently lives in Arlington, Massachusetts. |