TENOR
Michael Schade
Representation: World
- Helga Machreich-Unterzaucher
- +43 (0)5 06 80-012
- machreich@machreich-artists.com
- Press enquiries & artist material | Clara Riefellner
- +43 (0)5 06 80-013
- riefellner@machreich-artists.com
GALLERY
BIOGRAPHY
Celebrated as one of the leading tenors of our time, German-Canadian tenor Michael Schade performs regularly at the world’s foremost opera houses and concert venues throughout Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. He enjoyed a particularly close association with the Vienna State Opera and has also appeared frequently at the Metropolitan Opera, the Bavarian State Opera, La Scala in Milan, the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Opéra Bastille in Paris, and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
His role debuts as Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus) at the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto and as Florestan (Fidelio) under Nikolaus Harnoncourt at the Theater an der Wien were acclaimed by both audiences and critics alike. Further career highlights include Aschenbach (Death in Venice), Peter Grimes, Erik (Der fliegende Holländer) in Hamburg, Max in Weber’s Der Freischütz in Berlin and Copenhagen, and Eisenstein in the traditional New Year’s Eve performance of Die Fledermaus at the Vienna State Opera. Michael Schade has also appeared as Florestan in concert performances of Fidelio under Yannick Nézet-Séguin in Montréal and with Paavo Järvi and the Tonhalle Orchestra.
Among the artist’s recent successes are Herod in Strauss’s Salome at the Canadian Opera Company, his Australian debut in Melbourne as Flamand in Strauss’s Capriccio under the baton of Simone Young, and the title role in Mozart’s Idomeneo at Opera Australia. He also excelled as the Captain in Berg’s Wozzeck with the Canadian Opera Company and as the Major in Elena Langer’s Figaro Gets a Divorce at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm.
With a vast concert repertoire ranging from Bach’s Passions to Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, Michael Schade collaborates regularly with conductors including Ivor Bolton, Semyon Bychkov, Riccardo Chailly, Iván Fischer, Valery Gergiev, Alan Gilbert, Stefan Gottfried, Daniel Harding, Pablo Heras-Casado, Paavo Järvi, Fabio Luisi, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Kent Nagano, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Sir Simon Rattle, Christian Thielemann, Robin Ticciati, Franz Welser-Möst, and Simone Young. His artistic development has been profoundly shaped by his extensive collaboration with Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
For many years, Michael Schade was a regular guest at the Salzburg Festival, appearing in new productions such as Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito, Purcell’s King Arthur, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Haydn’s Armida, Cherubini’s Médée, Winter’s Das Labyrinth, and in the title role of Schubert’s Fierrabras, as well as in concert and recital performances. From 2008 to 2010, he served as Creative Director of the Young Singers Project, which he founded at the festival.
Michael Schade remains active on the international concert and opera stage in the 2026/27 season. He will perform the title role in Mozart’s Idomeneo at the Theater Lübeck and will also appear there in Schubert concerts with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck under Stefan Vladar.
On the concert platform, he will perform Beethoven’s Missa solemnis with Barucco under Heinz Ferlesch, as well as with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI in Turin. Other highlights of the season include Gubaidulina’s Über Liebe und Hass with the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra at the Elbphilharmonie, Mozart’s Requiem with Concentus Musicus Wien under Laurence Equilbey at the International Baroque Days Melk Abbey and in Paris, and Stravinsky’s Œdipus Rex with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra under Alan Gilbert in Hamburg, Paris, and Prague. In addition, Michael Schade will perform as soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with both the Noord Nederlands Orkest and the European Union Youth Orchestra in Grafenegg. Numerous song recitals round out the season.
As a recitalist, Michael Schade is celebrated by leading presenters worldwide, including Vienna’s Musikverein, Konzerthaus, and State Opera, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, New York’s Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall, London’s Wigmore Hall, the Verbier Festival, Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, the Grafenegg Festival, the Vienna State Opera, and La Scala in Milan.
Among his many recordings, special mention should be made of those with Nikolaus Harnoncourt, including Bach’s St Matthew Passion (Grammy Award), Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Orlando Paladino, and Mozart’s Zaide and La clemenza di Tito. Other award-winning recordings include Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the Vienna Philharmonic under Pierre Boulez, Mozart’s Requiem with the Berlin Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado, and Strauss’s Daphne under Semyon Bychkov (Grammy nomination, 2005), as well as Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin with Malcolm Martineau and, in a separate recording, with Rudolf Buchbinder at the piano.
In 2007, Michael Schade was awarded the title of Austrian Kammersänger, and in 2017 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada (OC). Since 2014, he has served as Artistic Director of the International Baroque Days at Melk Abbey, and since 2019 he has been Professor of Vocal Studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, where, alongside numerous masterclasses, he is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of singers.
2026 | 2027
This biography is to be reproduced without any changes, omissions or additions, unless expressly authorized by artist management.
DISCOGRAPHY
Mozart | Henneberg | Schack | Gerl: Der Stein der Weisen
Michael Schade, Martin Summer, Leonor Amaral, Kai Kluge, Elena Harsányi,
Katjan Maderer, Jonas Müller, Theresa Pilsl, Joachim Höchbauer
Hofkapelle München | Chor der KlangVerwaltung
Conductor: Rüdiger Lotter
Label: Deutsche Harmonia Mundi | 2024
Antal Doráti: Der Künder
Tomasz Konieczny, Michael Schade, Rachel Frenkel
Beethoven Academy Orchestra, Teatr Wielki Choir
Conductor: Martin Fischer-Dieskau
Label: Orfeo | 2022
Heinrich von Herzogenberg: Columbus
Andrè Schuen, Michael Schade, Markus Butter
Grazer Philharmoniker | Chor der Oper Graz
Conductor: Dirk Kaftan
Label: CPO | 2018
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem (Fragment)
Mojca Erdmann, Okka von der Damerau, Michael Schade, Christof Fischesser
Münchner Philharmoniker | Philharmonischer Chor München
Conductor: Zubin Metha
Label: Münchner Philharmoniker | 2018
CALENDAR
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Idomeneo, Rè di Creta KV 366
Michael Schade, Idomeneo
Stefan Vladar, musical director
Philipp Himmelmann, director
Paul Zoller, stage design
Carola Volles, costume design
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Idomeneo, Rè di Creta KV 366
Michael Schade, Idomeneo
Stefan Vladar, musical director
Philipp Himmelmann, director
Paul Zoller, stage design
Carola Volles, costume design
Recital with Michael Schade and the students of his Masterclass
Michael Schade, tenor
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Idomeneo, Rè di Creta KV 366
Michael Schade, Idomeneo
Stefan Vladar, musical director
Philipp Himmelmann, director
Paul Zoller, stage design
Carola Volles, costume design
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Idomeneo, Rè di Creta KV 366
Michael Schade, Idomeneo
Stefan Vladar, musical director
Philipp Himmelmann, director
Paul Zoller, stage design
Carola Volles, costume design
CONTACT
Representation: World
- Helga Machreich-Unterzaucher
- +43 (0)5 06 80-012
- machreich@machreich-artists.com
- und Press enquiries & artist material | Clara Riefellner
- +43 (0)5 06 80-013
- riefellner@machreich-artists.com
