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Dr. Marilyn Michael, Ed.D., MSEd., MM, BM


Dr. Marilyn Michael, Ed.D., MSEd., MM, BM
Campus
St. Pete/Gibbs Campus
Location
EI 105
Title
Faculty
Email
Michael.Marilyn@spcollege.edu
Phone
(727) 341-4679


Dr. Marilyn Michael has served as full-time professor at St. Petersburg College since 1994. She is Director of Choral Activities, Coordinator of Applied Voice, and a Humanities instructor. In addition, she is the founder and artistic director of the Summer Vocal Institute at St. Petersburg College, which started in 2001 and has engaged baritone Sherrill Milnes and tenor Enrico di Giuseppe, both from the Metropolitan Opera as guest directors. In recent years, she has engaged Metropolitan opera baritones John Fiorito and Jason Stearns to give master classes at the Summer Vocal Institute.

Marilyn Michael's career was launched when she was guest alto soloist under the conductor Helmuth Rilling at the Bachakadamie Summer Festival in Stuttgart, Germany. Later that season she sang four German Lieder recitals at Toynbee Hall in London, England. Subsequent seasons produced engagements ranging from Bach to Mahler including Bach St. John Passion and St. Matthew Passion, Honniger's King David, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Handel's Messiah and Dixit Dominus, and Das Lied von der Erde at the Mahler Sommerfest in Kassel, Germany. It was at that time that famed International soprano Elizabeth Schwarzkopf remarked about Dr. Michael's voice by saying it was "the contralto voice of the decade." Ms. Schwarzkopf as well as leading tenor Thomas Harper were instrumental in setting up important auditions for Dr. Michael in the beginning of her career in Germany.

In early 1994, Marilyn Michael was invited by maestro James Levine to audition for the Metropolitan Opera. She was offered a position on the Met roster as a mezzo-soprano cover singer, but declined in order to return to Florida and pursue her doctoral degree in education.

Other highlights of her career include Mahler's Symphony no. 2 under the direction of Julius Rudel, an NPR broadcast performance and tour of Mozart Requiem with the London Bach Choir, Sir David Willcocks, conducting; and Beethoven Symphony no. 9 and Mozart Requiem with the Florida Orchestra and Maestro Jahja Ling conducting. She has been directed in opera by Frank Guarrera and James Lucas-both from the Metropolitan opera as well as personal vocal coaching from Thomas Palmer (baritone from Metropolitan Opera), Dalton Baldwin and Stanley Sonntag.

In December 2009, Dr. Michael was invited by the Philharmonic Society of Orenburg, Russia to perform as soloist with the Divertissment Ensemble singing repertoire from Richard Strauss op. 10 and duets in Russian of Dargomysky and The Queen of Spades by Tchaikovsky. In addition, she gave a vocal master class at the student center in coordination with Orenburg State University. Recently, she had her debut at Carnegie Hall as alto soloist in the Messiah with the New England Chamber Ensemble, Joel Panciera conducting. 

She debuted the first vocal CD for Erasmus label of Brahms Lieder with famed Dutch pianist, Robert Moeling, featuring Four Serious Songs, op. 121 and Ziguenerlieder. It is widely-distributed in the Netherlands, France, South Africa, and Japan.  Other recent performances in Italy include Santa Maria del Fiore (Dome) in Florence, Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, and Basilica of San Sabina in Rome. Later that season, Marilyn Michael was invited to sing and perform as soloist at L’Église de la Madeleine and at the American Cathedral in Paris.

Dr. Michael was invited by the Secretary of Culture of Argentina to perform recitals in Fall 1999 and give master classes at the Franz Liszt conservatory in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was also engaged as soloist for the Messiah Festival at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas for 3 seasons.

Dr. Michael has both a B.M. and M.M. degree in vocal performance from the University of Kansas; a MS.Ed. degree in Post-secondary and Adult Education from Capella University, and a Doctorate of Education (Ed.D).degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Sarasota/Argosy, with the dissertation topic of vocal pedagogy. She has also taken post-graduate studies and received certification in Baroque vocal performance from the Bachakadamie in Stuttgart, Germany under the artistic direction of Wolfram Wehnert and Helmuth Rilling.

In July 2013, Dr. Michael completed the Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop at The Boston Conservatory under the direction of Prof. Kevin Wilson. In July 2015, Dr. Michael travelled to the University of Kansas Vocology Lab to observe  the advanced voice technology as well as learn about the doctoral program in Vocal/Choral Pedagogy offered at KU. Dr. Michael has been invited to teach and perform at the InterHarmony Music Festival in Acqui Terme near Milan, Italy for Summer 2017 and Summer 2019 under the artistic direction of world renowned cellist Misha Quint.

Dr. Michael was honored with the annual Community Award from the National Society of Arts and Letters (NSAL) on April 2019 for her lifelong work of developing young vocal artists. In addition, Dr. Michael is the proud recipient of the 2017 Faculty Recognition Award from St. Petersburg College and the Distinguished Cultural Award from the Florida Suncoast Opera Guild. 


Discography:
Von ewiger Liebe- Selected songs of Johannes Brahms; with Robert Moeling/pianist; Erasmus label (Rotterdam,Netherlands).
     Excerpts from the Brahms CD:
        Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer Op. 105 no. 2  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBKtNCd3NNY
        In goldnen Abendschein, Op. 91. no. 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM45xt5eidc
        Die ihr schwebet, Op. 9l no. 2  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1HnAbUI7JA 
        Vergebliches Ständchen Op. 84. no. 4  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSH_IYqY44s
       
  St. Matthew Passion/J.S. Bach; Bethany choir, Dr. Gregory Aune conducting; Delta label (U.S.)

Missa Omnium Sanctorum/Jan Dismas Zelenka; Marburg Bach Chor, Dr. Wolfram Wehnert conducting; Thorofon label (Germany)

Publications:
Tampa Bay Arts Guide: A Guide to the Performing and Visual Arts; co-authored with Nancy Smith (2012-2018) Pearson publishers; (2010 & 2011) McGraw-Hill publishers.

A Guide to Women Song Composers in Applied Music Curriculum; Dissertation, University of Sarasota/Argosy, (2002).