Baritone Michael Chioldi has sung on stages across the world. In this interview, he shares his rise to stardom and staying power as a singer—and gives advice to young singers about the changes the industry is facing, vocal longevity, and balancing work with your relationships and personal life.
With a resonant baritone voice that exudes rich timbre and emotional depth, Michael Chioldi has graced the world’s most prestigious opera stages and etched his name into the annals of operatic history. His career is a testament to dedication, artistry, and a commitment to the timeless beauty of opera.
When Chioldi’s explosive young talent earned him a top prize at The Metropolitan Opera in 1995, his path to stardom was clear. The ensuing years brought myriad triumphs in leading roles in collaboration with luminaries like Sondra Radvanovsky, Jonas Kaufmann, and Maestro Seiji Ozawa in theaters including the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Washington National Opera, and The Royal Opera House of Oman. Ultimately, a surprise twist of fate in 2022 catapulted his star to new stratospheric heights.
From captivating audiences with his powerful performances to advocating for the future of the art form, Chioldi shares his tale of perseverance and passion with our readers.
A Dream Come True at The Met
Can you tell us about your unique experience with The Metropolitan Opera?
The Met holds a very near and dear place for me in my heart. I won the competition in 1995 and made my debut there shortly afterwards in Andrea Chénier as Fléville with a cast that included, Pavarotti, Pons, Sénéchal, and Millo. The competition is such a great launching pad for a young singer’s career. The people guiding me from that competition have been priceless. I remember singing at the winner’s concert and thinking to myself, “I want to do this for the rest of my life.” Thirty years later, and I am still making a go of it.
Returning to the Met in the Herculean role of Rigoletto was really the stuff that dreams are made of. When I left the Met in 2000, I was guided to go off and sing bigger roles elsewhere and then come back. Things didn’t quite happen the way I thought it would. I was back to cover several times but had never been asked to sing there again.
When I went on for my ailing colleague, it was the first time in 20 years that I had sung on the stage in a performance. I remember getting the call saying I was going on and just thought to myself, “This is the moment. Now don’t screw it up!”
I will never forget the moment after “Cortigiani” where the audience erupted in applause and I momentarily broke character, smiled, put my hand on my heart, and acknowledged the audience. I ended up receiving amazing notices and getting my picture on the front page of The New York Times Arts Section. To say that it was a transformative event in my career would be an understatement.
Vocal Health & Career Longevity
How have you built and maintained such solid and consistent technique and vocal health?
I think the key to vocal health and longevity is two fold. First, I would say that the most important aspect is to have a team around you that you trust and that is aligned with your trajectory. My current team is comprised of my wonderful manager Caroline Woodfield (Opus3), my excellent voice teacher (for 20 years now) Michael Paul, my exemplary vocal coach Kamal Kahn, my patient and loving husband Scott Hill, and my brutally honest best friend (excellent bass and opera aficionado) Rubin Casas.
The second thing I would say is to stay lyric for as long as possible. Do not move into heavier repertoire before your voice is ready. Sure, you can play around with things and even try them out, but listen to your body and your throat.
How have you created a strategy for your professional career, and what is your advice for opera singers who are looking for guidance on making a living by performing?
My strategy for my own professional career is to always be the best singer I can be at any given time and to always be prepared. I try to be honest with myself regarding where I fit in within the business and then come up with a game plan of how to keep the gigs coming in, hopefully at better and better companies.
I try and develop relationships with companies where I love to sing and where the audiences appreciate me. I’ve been lucky to have a few companies I have thankfully returned repeatedly to. I am so fortunate to consider Utah Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Austin Opera, NYC Opera, and Washington National Opera among these “home” companies. I continue to coach and take lessons and work on my musical styles and languages.
My advice to singers trying to make a go of it today? I will not sugar coat this answer. The opera business is in a very big transition period post-Covid. Basically, there are fewer opportunities, and at a time when there are more singers than ever before. Many smaller roles are going to young artists, and the actual number of performances and shows is decreasing. It is increasingly difficult for singers to have a career.
Most singers these days have some sort of side gig to be able to afford to sing. And I think that they must be OK with that. Fees have not gone up in accordance with inflation, and housing is the most that I have ever remembered it being. It was always a challenge to have a career in opera, but I’ve never seen it like this before. I try and tell young singers to stay creative and remain hopeful.
We as an industry must come up with creative and differing ideas of what the business looks like. I have seen the trend of smaller spaces being utilized and shorter, more modern operas being produced much more often. The main thing is to keep singing and working on your craft if this is the choice that you make. The more we get the art form out to the public, the more chance we have of it growing and having a career in it. And even among the direst news, there are some houses that are doing things in a way where their audiences continue to grow. It certainly can be done.
Nurturing Talent & Inspiring Aspiring Artists
How do you approach your work as a teacher and mentor for young singers?
I maintain a private studio in NYC of 40 singers. Many are managed professionals, and the others are up-and-comers in YAPs around the world. I have been fortunate to give masterclasses across the U.S. in several top programs.
I began teaching about 20 years ago when a friend asked me to hear him, and I was able to help him quite a bit. I enjoyed helping someone improve, and it also helped me understand my own technique. As a teacher and mentor, I try to have a no-nonsense approach, but with as much love, support, and positivity as I can.
I think my real gift as a teacher is being able to diagnose vocal issues quickly and coming up with unique plans for vocal health for each student. It is a lot of dedication, but I find it quite inspiring. I also think it is a real plus that I am still out there grinding away singing. I get to hear and share the stage with many of the best singers out there.
The single most important thing for aspiring singers is to have lessons and coachings as consistently as possible. Of course, I realize this is quite expensive; I try to work with students on pricing when they are in need. But if there is a way for aspiring singers to get some funding for their lessons, that would be invaluable. Consistency and quality of sound are key.
The other thing I would say is to be patient and realistic. Be honest with yourself and create game plans with your team on how to get to the place you aspire to be. Be proactive and creative and be the best possible colleague you can possibly be. Kindness goes a very long way.
Work, Life, Relationships & Balance
How do you establish work/life balance amid frequent travel and irregular scheduling?
I think this is the single hardest thing about being an opera singer. Since the beginning of our relationship, my husband Scott and I established a three-week rule. No matter how far or how difficult it is to get away, we try and see each other. It seems to have worked as we’ve been together now for 12 years and married for 7. I am fortunate that he worked in opera, so that he has a real understanding of what it takes. He also knows how to put up with my “artistic” behavior!
I try and play tennis as much as possible when I am on the road. It keeps me sane and connected to another passion of mine. I stay in touch with my friends and family and try being as social as the gig will allow. I personally am not very good when I am all by myself for a lot of time. I enjoy eating out and meeting new people and having new experiences.
(Question posed to a friend and a family member) Could you share with readers something that would convey a great deal about Michael Chioldi not only as an artist but a person?
Rubin Casas expounds on his friendship with Michael, whom he refers to as Joseph (Chioldi’s middle name): “Our connection was immediate and undeniable when we crossed paths in Yale’s opera program. During my time in the Young Artist Program at Virginia Opera, tragedy struck as both my mother and sister passed away within a span of just 36 days.” When the program concluded and Casas was too devastated to pack up for his return to New York, Chioldi calmly drove Rubin to a movie theater and instructed him to watch a few films as a peaceful distraction. “Upon his return, my car was filled to the brim with boxes. Joseph explained that he had taken care of packing and shipping most of my belongings and had left some clothes and other personal items for our road trip home. This is Michael Chioldi.”
Michael’s husband, Scott Hill, provides support as a partner and a former professional stage manager. The New York Times highlighted the moment in a rehearsal at The Kennedy Center when the two of them “spied each other from across the room, in the kind of tremulous moment from which many a libretto has been spun.”
Hill describes Michael’s recent Rigoletto performance at The Met as “the culmination of a decades-long career that I always knew would come to pass. I have always known in my bones that this moment would happen, but seeing the person you love most realize their lifelong dream is an experience that can’t be put into words. The pride I felt in that moment was overwhelming…. The reaction was immediate, long, and robust…like nothing I’ve ever heard before at the Met!”
A Vision for the Future
How do you see the role of opera in the modern world, and what do you think can be done to engage new audiences and ensure its relevance in the years to come?
It is essential that we convince people of the importance of art. Art exists to educate and inspire. Not just to entertain. This all begins in the U.S. with music programs in school. Unlike Europe, opera is not an inherent part of our culture. We must try and convince our legislators and audiences of the importance of art and opera in particular. There is a way to make it more popular with social media. We must perhaps ditch our old traditional ways of thinking of how to produce things and be willing to try new and different things.
In a country where there is more money than ever before, there is sadly a lack of funding for the arts. There are those few people that will always continue to support, and we are forever grateful for them. But we have to shake up the models a bit. Make it more fun and accessible. There has been a wonderful trend as of late to make productions more cinematic. I believe this is a good start.
At the end of the day, though, I really do believe that if we have excellent singers singing, then the art form will thrive. Ultimately, we need more artists in positions of power to hire and to teach. And thankfully I do see this happening more as well recently.
Characters I hope to portray include Don Carlo di Vargas in La forza del destino, Don Carlo in Ernani, Simon Boccanegra, Wotan in The Ring Cycle, Barak in Die Frau ohne Schatten, Sweeney, Jack Rance in La fanciulla del West, and Michele in Il tabarro. And I would love another shot at the title role in Nixon in China.
When asked how he hopes he will be remembered 100 years from now, Chioldi reflects: “I suppose I would love for people to remember me as a kind, sensitive, generous, and loving person. A world-class artist and storyteller with a powerful voice of depth and range that could soar to the heights and excite an audience in its own unique way.”
As Michael Chioldi’s operatic journey unfolds, he will undoubtedly continue to shape the world of opera. One can thoroughly agree with his assertion that “There is so much more for me to do” and trust that he will keep inspiring fellow artists, captivating audiences, and advocating for the enduring power of this transformative art form.
