Michael S. Caldwell, pianist and baritone, originally from West Fairfield, PA, has degrees in Piano & Vocal Performance from Westminster College (New Wilmington, PA) and Hartt School of Music (Hartford, CT), where he studied Opera and performed in leading roles in The Rape of Lucretia, La Traviata, Cosí fan tutte, The Rake’s Progress, and Candide. Recipient of the Connecticut Opera Guild Award, he subsequently performed with Central City Opera in the roles of Angelotti in Tosca, Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette, and Tom/John in Face on the Barroom Floor. At Virginia Opera, he appeared as Antonio in Le Nozze di Figaro, Mr. Gobineau in The Medium, and ‘Michael’ in the world premiere of Michael Ching’s opera Cue 67. He also appeared as “the blind ant” with the Center for Contemporary Opera in Manhattan in their production of Martin Kalmanoff’s The Insect Comedy.

A featured baritone at the Steans Institute of Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, Michael also has extensive background in art song and lieder, both as pianist and singer. As a pianist, he enjoyed collaborating with the artists at the International Institute of Vocal Arts in Chiari, Italy.

Michael has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera extra chorus in productions of Fidelio, Die Meistersinger, Moses und Aron, Lohengrin, Götterdammerung and Samson et Dalila.

Currently residing in Teaneck, NJ, with his husband Dan, a tenor in the Metropolitan Opera Chorus, Michael has also worked as a music director. He has had the pleasure of directing The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Die Fledermaus, The Magic Flute, Me and My Girl, and The Marriage of Figaro at Great Neck (NY) South High School. Michael enjoyed the privilege of music directing the vocal octet “Cantare con Spirito” in collaboration with ArtisTree Productions in South Pomfret, VT.

Michael is a member of the Opera Coaching Staff and collaborative pianists team at the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ. He is also on the piano coaching faculty of Opera Theatre of the Rockies’ Summer Vocal Arts Festival in Colorado Springs, CO.