Tenor Michael Fabiano, born on May 8, 1984, has fashioned a major career for himself in the modern opera world.

To this point, he has established a foothold at all the major opera houses around the globe, including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, Teatro Real, Paris Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Canadian Opera Company, among others.

The tenor was active in a wide range of areas in his youth, becoming a champion high school debater, serving as a baseball umpire, and considering a career in business.

Ultimately he studied vocal performance at the University of Michigan followed by the Academy of Vocal Arts.

His stage debut came in 2007 at the Klagenfurt Stadttheater as Alfredo in “La Traviata.” That was also the year that he was one of the winners of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and appeared in the documentary “The Audition” From there, his career sky-rocketed.

Among his other major achievements to his point are the Grand Prize at the Florida Grand Opera Competition in 2005, the Richard Tucker Award in 2014, and the Beverly Sills Award in 2014, among others.

He also founded ArtSmart, a nonprofit organization that provides free voice lessons to under-served students.

Signature Roles

Pinning down one signature role for the American tenor is big asks. One might think Rodolfo in “La Bohème,” a role he has dominated in recent years, but then you would be neglecting his immersion in the early Verdi operas. And then if you go down that path, you overlook the fact that Fabiano has also been a major champion of the works of Donizetti.

Italian opera, in general, might be a bit general, but what makes Fabiano unique is that he conquers the standard repertoire while also immersing himself in rarer works that don’t always dominate season announcements. Such examples include “Il Corsaro,” “I Lombardi,” “Luisa Miller,” and “Lucrezia Borgia,” to name just a few.

From the standard classics, Fabiano has been a go-to singer for “La Bohème” and Il Duca in “Rigoletto.”

Read More on Michael Fabiano

5 Essential Verdi Roles in His Career

Watch and Listen

 Here is a look at his recent work in Valencia in “Il Corsaro.”