(Credit: © Marco Borrelli)

American tenor Michael Spyres has been honored with the prestigious Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres designation by the government of France.

Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres is one of the main distinctions among the four ministerial orders of the French Republic, which rewards three times a year people who have distinguished themselves by their creation in the field of art or literature, or by the contribution they have made to the influence of arts in France and throughout the world.

Spyres took to Instagram saying “I can’t believe it, but I recently received one of the biggest accolades of my life. Surprisingly, I was officially made Chevalier des Arts of the French Republic! It is difficult to properly express my gratitude to France for all the love and support I have received in my professional career. For me, France is really my Dulcinea and I promise to defend the arts and to fight nobly for the values ​​of freedom, equality, and fraternity.”

Spyres is regarded as one of today’s leading tenors. He has appeared on the world’s greatest stages, including the Metropolitan Opera House, Teatro alla Scala, Wiener Staatsoper, Opéra national de Paris, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Opéra Comique, Teatro Real, Bayerische Staatsoper, and Opernhaus Zürich, among many others.

The tenor is scheduled to appear in the title role in Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” at the Opéra de Lyon in February 2022, before taking on the title role in Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” at the Dallas Opera in April and May 2022. Spyres will also appear in the title role in Mozart’s “Idomeneo” at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in July 2022.