Winner of the 2018 Royal Over-Seas League Singers’ Prize and the 2017 Pavarotti Prize, Michael Mofidian was born and raised in Glasgow, and educated at the University of Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music.
A Jette Parker Young Artist at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden from 2018-2020 roles included Narumov Queen of Spades, Alcade Forza del destino, Angelotti Tosca, Zuniga Carmen, Minotauros Phaedra (Linbury Studio Theatre), Johan Werther, Bass 1 Death in Venice, Dr Grenvil La Traviata, Judge and Chelsias Susanna and Deputy Don Carlo as well as covering the roles of Figaro Le nozze di Figaro and Colline La bohème. Whilst there he worked under conductors including Sir Tony Pappano, Edward Gardner, Alexander Joel, Julia Jones and Keri-Lynn Wilson.
In 2018 he was a Jerwood Young Artist for Glyndebourne Festival where roles included the Doctor in Pelléas et Mélisande and the Imperial Commissioner in Madam Butterfly.
Recent engagements have included a return to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for Masetto Don Giovanni, soloist at First Night of the Proms 2021 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra performing Vaughan Williams’s Serenade to Music and a World Premiere by James MacMillan, first night of the Edinburgh International Festival for Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, Angelotti Tosca alongside Anna Netrebko, Yusif Eyvazov and Ludovic Tézier at Salzburg Festival, Don Alfonso Così fan tutte for Scottish Opera. He also made his debut with Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under Sir Tony Pappano for a performance and recording of Turandot (Mandarin) and returned to Salzburg Festival as Kuligin Káťa Kabanová in a Barrie Kosky production, conducted by Jakub Hrůša.
Future performances include Thesus A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Rouen Opera, Colline La Boheme at Royal Opera House, Masetto Don Giovanni Glyndebourne Festival, concerts with Halle Orchestra, Dunedin Consort and recitals including a programme of Brahms and Sibelius at Oxford Lieder Festival.
He is also very excited to appear with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Beethovens 9th Symphony in the BBC Proms this summer as well as making a return to the Edinburgh International Festival to perform Tippett’s A Child of Our Time under Sir Andrew Davis.
While in residence at the Grand Théâtre de Genève in the 21/22 season, Michael’s roles included Lord Rochefort Anna Bolena, Nourabad Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Pfleger des Orest Elektra, Maire Jenufa, Mandarin Turandot and Idas & Phobétor Atys, in a co-production with Château de Versailles.
Concert work has included Verdi Requiem; Jesus, Pilate and arias in both Bach Passions; Haydn Creation; Handel Messiah; Stravinsky Les noces; Beethoven 9th Symphony; Mozart Requiem; Fauré Requiem; and Dvořák Stabat Mater and last season Mahler Kindertotenlieder with Britten Sinfonia under Sir Mark Elder.
Michael was a joint winner of the 2017 Oxford Lieder Young Artist Platform and has given recitals for the Wigmore Hall, Oxford Lieder, Leeds Lieder, St John’s Smith Square London, Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh for the Edinburgh Fringe and at City Halls in Glasgow for a BBC broadcast performing with pianists Keval Shah, Jâms Coleman, Sholto Kynoch and Malcolm Martineau. He returns to the Wigmore Hall for a recital of Sibelius and Mahler.
Michael is also a composer; his works include pieces for orchestra, instrumental chamber music, art songs and works for vocal ensemble, and his teachers have included Sir James MacMillan, Richard Causton and Robin Holloway.
This biography is for information only and should not be reproduced.
St Johns Passion Bach
Barbican 7 April 2023
“The mahogany darkness of Michael Mofidian’s bass ensured that this Christ had an implacable presence, his words imbued with conviction and truth.”
Claire Seymore, Opera Today
Messiah
Dunedin Consort, Scottish Tour, December 2022
Bass-baritone Michael Mofidian’s splendidly muscular deep voice brought character, truly “shaking the nations” with a darkness as black as ink. A powerfully lyrical “The trumpet shall sound” was a highlight, Paul Sharp’s note-perfect trumpet blending impeccably.
David Smythe, Bachtrack
La Bohème (Colline)
Royal Opera House Covent Garden, October 2022
promising bass Michael Mofidian sings Colline’s short aria bidding farewell to his winter coat with a simple dignity
Richard Fairman, The Financial Times
Michael Mofidian's grandly sung Colline [...] completed a coherent quartet
George Hall, Opera Magazine
Le Maire (Jenůfa )
Grand-Théâtre de Genève, May 2022
Michael Mofidian et Céline Kot personnifient dignement le maire du village et sa femme.
Michael Mofidian and Céline Kot interpret the village's mayor and his wife with dignity.
Paul-Andre Demierre, Crescendo Magazine
"les voix belles et timbrées de [...] Michael Mofidian (le maire)"
The beautiful and warmly coloured voices of [...] Michael Mofidian (the mayor)
Charles Sigel, Forum Opera
On notera les prestations remarquées même si de courtes durées [...] de la basse Michael Modifian (le maire du village) dont le charme vocal ne cesse de nous plaire.
One particularly notices the short but significant performances [...] of bass, Michael Mofidian (the village mayor), whose vocal charm pleases us to no end.
Jacques Schmitt, Resmusica
LULLY Atys, Idas & Phobétor
Geneva Grand Theatre, Jeune Ensemble (March 2022)
Michael Mofidian (Idas / Phobétor) donne un charme particulier à la scène du sommeil d’Atys par son timbre profond et noir, son legato et sa longueur de souffle, apportant une noblesse à ses quelques phrases.
Michael Mofidian (Idas / Phobétor) gives a special charm to Atys' sleep scene with its deep, black timbre, legato and breath length, bringing nobility to his few sentences.
CJM, Olyrix
Parmi les autres rôles, on ne peut passer sous silence le baryton-basse Michael Mofidian (Idas/Phobétor/Un songe funeste) dont la voix profonde chargée d’harmoniques, timbrée à souhait, parfaitement conduite, la diction impeccable rappelle, dans un tout autre registre, l’admirable Samuel Ramey dont les murs de l’institution lyrique genevoise vibrent encore d’un souvenir vivace.
Among the other roles, we cannot ignore the bass-baritone Michael Mofidian (Idas/Phobétor/Un songe fatale) whose deep voice charged with harmonics, stamped at will, perfectly conducted, the impeccable diction recalls, in a completely different register, the admirable Samuel Ramey whose walls of the Geneva opera still vibrate with a vivid memory.
Jacques Schmitt, Res Musica
Bizet Les Pêcheurs de perles, Nourabad
Geneva Grand Theatre, Jeune Ensemble (December 2021)
De son côté, Michael Mofidian se révèle le plus intéressant des personnages, bien que le moins exposé de la distribution. Son Nourabad rayonne naturellement, avec solidité, sur une remarquable voix sombre. Comme ses collègues masculins de plateau, le Britannique offre une articulation et une diction claires, qui rendent le texte intelligible sans avoir à consulter les surtitres, ce qui n’est pas rien.
For his part, Michael Mofidian is the most interesting of the characters, although the least exposed of the cast. His Nourabad radiates naturally, with solidity, on a remarkable dark voice. Like his male set colleagues, the Briton offers a clear articulation and diction, which makes the text intelligible without having to consult the surtitles, which is not nothing.
Sylvie Bonier, Le Temps
…l’impeccable Michael Mofidian aux graves de bronzes dans “Sombres divinités”.
…the impeccable Michael Mofidian with bronze bass in "Dark Deities".
Charles Sigel, Forum Opera
On signalera aussi la belle prestation de Michael Mofidian en Nourabad aux graves percutants.
We will also mention the beautiful performance of Michael Mofidian in Nourabad with striking bass.
Claudio Poloni, Concerto Net
A ses côtés, la basse britannique Michael Mofidian (Nourabad) fait aussi preuve d’une belle tenue vocale ainsi que d’une impeccable prononciation de la langue française.
At his side, the British bass Michael Mofidian (Nourabad) also shows a beautiful vocal hold as well as an impeccable pronunciation of the French language.
Jacques Schmitt, Res Musica
Le quatuor vocal met en valeur l’élégant baryton-basse Michael Mofidian…
The vocal quartet showcases elegant bass-baritone Michael Mofidian…
Vincent Borel, Concert Classic
Charming, spry Michael Mofidian sounded fantastic as Nourabad, and brought lightness and good humour to every scene he was in.
Elodie Olson-Coons, Bachtrack
Michael Mofidian's Nourabad possesses the authority and peremptory declamation of the high priest.
Paul-André Demierre, Crescendo Magazine
Mozart Cosi fan tutte, Don Alfonso
Lammermuir Festival, Scottish Opera (September 2021)
Michael Mofidian, a puckish Don Alfonso (the game show host), and Catriona Hewitson, an agile all-purpose Despina, are class manipulators.
Ken Walton, The Scotsman
Donizetti's Anna Bolena, Lord Rochefort
Geneva Grand Theatre, Jeune Ensemble (October 2021)
…bass-baritone Michael Mofidian (Lord Rochefort), the Grand Théâtre de Genève integrates a very beautiful voice into its Jeune Ensemble.
Jacques Schmitt, Res Musica
In Lord Rochefort, the Scotser Michael Mofidian also manages to exist fully, with his robust bass-baritone instrument and this ability to fully enter the role of a bruised brother, ready, remaining proud and standing, to face death.
Pierre Géraudie, Olyrix
Williams' Serenade & Macmillan's When Soft Voices Die (premiere)
First Night of the Proms, Royal Albert Hall (August 2021)
Michael Mofidian’s pitch-dark bass, […] delivered Shelley’s words eloquently.
Erica Jeal, The Guardian
Mozart's Don Giovanni, Masetto
Royal Opera House (July 2021)
Michael Mofidian’s excellent bass is heard to good effect as Masetto.
Richard Fairman, Financial Times
… complemented by the fine bass Michael Mofidian as Masetto.
Colin Davison, British Theatre Guide
…fine singing from both Zuzana Marková and Michael Mofidian.
Claire Seymour, Opera Today
Michael Mofidian Repertoire
These photos are available to be downloaded.
Right click on a desired image and select the "Save Link As" option.
