Discover More – Soprano Michelle Trainor

2022/2023 Season

Ms. Trainor opens this exciting season singing Clorinda in Rossini’s Cenerentola with Opera Columbus in the fall and she joined the Handel and Haydn Society as the Marcellina cover for their production of Le Nozze di Figaro. She will be joining New World Chorale as the soprano soloist in Mozart’s Requiem in the winter and will be covering the role of Judith in Boston Lyric Opera’s Bluebeard’s Castle featuring Alma Mahler’s Four Songs. More updates soon!

2021|2022 Season

Michelle kicked off her season singing the postponed performance of Britten’s The Turn of the Screw with IlluminArts in Miami, singing the role of Mrs. Grose. She appeared as Gertrude in the Boston Hamlet’s Highlight Concert with The Shakespeare Concerts at Jordan Hall and was a Soloist in the First Music Series Concert in Nashua New Hampshire. Michelle joined Boston Symphony Orchestra for their performances of Wozzeck at both Symphony Hall and Carnegie hall as an ensemble soloist.

2020/2021

In the spring, Ms. Trainor made her debut in Bulgaria singing the role of Gertrude in Joseph Summer’s Hamlet and joined IlluminArts for Unmasked, a Video Concert as a guest performer. She was excited to return to the Boston Symphony Orchestra for their performance of Shostakovitch’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk in both Carnegie Hall and Symphony Hall, singing the role of Aksinya, however, this was postponed due to COVID-19.

2019|2020 Season

Michelle was excited to begin her season with the role of La Madre in the world premiere of Omar Najmi’s chamber opera En la Ardiente Oscuridad. She returns to her Boston Lyric Opera home for their powerful production of Fellow Travelers by Gregory Spears. The new year will be kicked off with a role debut in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, singing the role of Miss Jessel and she will re-visit this work singing the role of Mrs. Grose with IlluminArts (postponed due to COVID-19) in Maimi, FL. She ends the season with another re-engagement with Odyssey Opera singing Jill-All-Alone in Merrie England (Cancelled due to COVID-19). Stay tuned for more updates!

2018|2019 Season

2017|2018 World Premier

The amazing new opera The Nefarious, Immoral But Highly Profitable Enterprise of Mr. Burke & Mr. Hare features music from Julian Grant and a libretto by Mark Campbell. Ms. Trainor created the role of Helen McDougal, Burke’s girlfriend in this wonderful new work based on a true story. Ms. Trainor will also being playing the role of Mrs. Peachum in Kurt Weill’s The Threepenny Opera with Boston Lyric Opera under the direction of James Darrah as well as the role of Jocasta in Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex with Emmanuel Music. She will also be returning to New Hampshire as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Mahler’s Symphony No.2.

2016|2017 Debut

Ms. Trainor’s debut with Boston Symphony Orchestra as the Milliner in the Strauss favorite Der Rosenkavalier. She joined the Brookline Symphony Orchestra for Isolde’s Liebestod from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. Michelle will be returning to the Boston Lyric Opera stage as Marcellina in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and will be making her debut with Odyssey Opera as Ghita in Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg.

2015|2016 Back to Roots

Michelle returned to New Hampshire at First Church where she sang Nicholas White’s Magnificat. She reprised the role of Tosca with La Forza dell’ Opera in Brooklyn, NY and returned to Boston Lyric Opera for their production of The Merry Widow.

2014|2015 Challenges

Michelle took on the challenging role of Brangain in Martin’s The Love Potion to much critical acclaim and she revived her role as Suor Angelica with Metro West Opera where she was nominated for Best Female Performer in an Opera by Arts Impulse.

2014|2014 New Beginnings

Michelle sang a staged version of Schubert’s early song Hagar’s Lament as well as the Second Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Her concert work included Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Haydn’s Missa inAngustiis. As a Boston Lyric Opera Emerging Artist, she has sung roles in their productions of Hansel and Gretel, Macbeth, The Inspector, The Magic Flute and The Love Potion. Michelle recorded the Schubert’sHagar’s Lament on the BIS label with Boston Lyric Opera and is a frequent performer in the BLO Signature Series at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Michelle’s awards include:

Winner of Boston Lyric Opera’s Shrestinian Award for Excellence, First Place Winner of the New Jersey Verismo Opera Competition, St.. Botolph Club Grant Winner, First Place Winner of the Peter Elvins’ Competition, First Place Winner of the New England Regional NATSAA, NATSAA National Finalist and Winner of the Berton Coffin Award. Ms. Trainor was a finalist in the Concorso Lirico di Ferdora Barbieri, Career Bridges Grant Award as well as the Rochester Oratorio Society Vocal Competition.

Musical Repertoire

Equally at home with concert repertoire, Ms. Trainor has performed works such as Mozart’s Requiem, Mass in C Minor, Solemn Vespers and his Missa Brevis in B Flat as well as Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis and Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony. Ms. Trainor made her Carnegie Hall debut as a soloist in Mahler’s Eighth Symphony with Canterbury Choral Society. She has performed at Boston’s First Night and has sung works with the Composers in Red Sneakers. She joined the stage of Boston Ballet in their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as the soprano soloist.