Lieder arrangements (by Berlioz, Brahms, Reger, Mottl and Liszt)

Michael Lewis, one of Australia's most respected singers, is highly regarded for his command of both the operatic and concert repertoire.

After winning the Metropolitan Opera Competition in 1973 and an Arts Council Scholarship, Michael left Adelaide for Europe, marking the beginning of a successful international career. His debut at the Wexford Festival in 1976, directed by the famous baritone Sesto Bruscantini, was followed by appearances at the prestigious Glyndebourne Festival and engagements with Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, English National Opera and Opera North. Since this time, Michael has appeared in Europe, America and Australia in a wide range of roles from Mozart to Wagner to 20th Century works.

Career highlights include: soloist with Rudolf Nureyev at the London Coliseum in Bejart's ballet to Mahler's Songs of a Wayfarer; title role in Rigoletto at La Fenice, Venice, the famous Jonathan Miller mafia-style production in London, in Elijah Moshinsky's Opera Australia production, in the Parks Concert performance in Sydney in which Joan Sutherland made her farewell appearance in the role of Gilda, and in an earlier John Copley production for which he won a Green Room Award; his first venture into German repertoire in Tiefland by D'Albert at the Staatsoper in Berlin; Lucia di Lammermoor in Pittsburgh under the direction of Tito Capobianco, for whom Michael also sang his first Macbeth in Adelaide; and the creation of Jeronimus Cornelisz in the world premiere of Batavia by Richard Mills.

On the concert platform, Michael has appeared with numerous orchestras around the world and all of Australia's Symphony Orchestras with countless conductors of world renown. His repertoire encompasses all the major high baritone works, in particular Carmina Burana, A War Requiem, Belshazzar's Feast, Ein Deutsches Requiem, Elijah, Kindertontenlieder, The Dream of Gerontius, The Wound Dresser (Adams), Mahler's 8th Symphony, Messiah and Faure's Requiem.

In 2003, Michael performed the title role in Rigoletto, Sixtus Beckmesser in The Mastersingers of Nuremberg and Zurga in The Pearlfishers for Opera Australia and sang Figaro in The Barber of Seville at Opera in the Domain. For the State Opera of South Australia, Michael reprised the roles of Alfio and Tonio in Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci and performed as soloist in Messiah for Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.

In 2004, he sang Zurga and Count di Luna for Opera Australia and starred as The Major in their World Premiere production of Madeline Lee. Michael also revisited the role of Jeronimus Cornelisz in Batavia for the Perth International Arts Festival and West Australian Opera; he sang the title role in Rigoletto for New Zealand Opera and appeared in recital at the Coriole Festival. He recently returned from Amsterdam where he sang the Old Doctor in Samuel Barber's Vanessa under Maestro Jaap van Zweden in the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra of Holland's famous 'Saturday Matinee' series. This was Michael's Concertgebouw debut and was received with great acclaim.

His CD, Schubert: Lieder Orchestrations, features arrangements by Brahms, Reger, Offenbach and Mottl and includes the world premiere of Liszt's arrangement of Der Doppelgänger.

In 2005, Michael will sing the title role in Nabucco for Opera Australia and The Count in The Marriage of Figaro for Opera Queensland.