Michael Chioldi (born May 24, 1970) is an American opera singer who has performed leading baritone roles in the opera houses and festivals of North and South America, Europe and Asia. He first appeared at New York's Metropolitan Opera in 1995 when he was a winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition.
Life and career
Early years and first house debuts
Chioldi grew up in Avonmore, Pennsylvania, where his father was a steelworker. He received his bachelor's degree from West Virginia University and his Master of Music degree from Yale where he studied singing under Richard Cross. Following his graduation from Yale in 1994, he received further training at the Houston Grand Opera Studio and San Francisco Opera's Merola Opera Program. Chioldi's first appearance at the Metropolitan Opera was in April 1995 in the National Council Winners Concert. He made his official opera debut there as Fléville in Andrea Chénier in April 1996, and subsequently appeared as Pâris in Roméo et Juliette (1996), Wagner in Faust (1997), Yamadori in Madama Butterfly (1997), and Moralès in Carmen (1997). During his last year at the Met, Chioldi was awarded a study grant from the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation. In 2022 he sang Rigoletto in a new production at the Metropolitan Opera to wide acclaim.
Chioldi made his debut with the Washington National Opera in December 1995 as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia. He went on to appear with the company as Fléville in Andrea Chenier, First Mate in Billy Budd, the title role of Hamlet, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Enrico Ashton in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Giorgio Germont in La traviata. He made his San Francisco Opera debut as Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus in 1996 and the following year appeared as Schaunard in La bohème and in the roles of Jack, Supervisor Kopp, and Stonewall Girl in the West Coast premiere of Stewart Wallace's opera Harvey Milk, based on the life of the San Francisco politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk, who was assassinated in 1978. Chioldi also appears on the world premiere recording of the opera.
Chioldi's debut with New York City Opera came in 1999 as Le chat in L'enfant et les sortilèges. He became a regular performer with the company, most notably as Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Escamillo in Carmen, Doctor Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Belcore in L'elisir d'amore, Peter in Hansel and Gretel, Sharpless in the 2008 Emmy Award-winning Madama Butterfly, and Baron Scarpia in Tosca. He also sang in New York City with the Opera Orchestra of New York as Ottakar in their 2005 concert performance of Der Freischütz.
Later appearances with American opera companies
Chioldi first appeared with Palm Beach Opera in 2003 as Enrico Ashton in Lucia di Lammermoor. He went on to perform with the company in roles that included Doctor Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Giorgo Germont in La traviata, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, the title role of Macbeth (his role debut), Baron Scarpia in Tosca, and the title role in Rigoletto. In Texas, he has performed with Austin Opera as Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera, Sharpless in Madame Butterfly, Giorgio Germont in La traviata, Iago in Otello, Rodrigo in Don Carlo, and the title role in Rigoletto. He also appeared as Baron Scarpia with San Antonio Opera, as Ford in Falstaff with Fort Worth Opera, and as Abimelech in Samson and Delilah with Dallas Opera.
Chioldi's appearances with other American opera companies include: Virginia Opera (High Priest of Dagon in Samson and Delilah, Jochanaan in Salome and Tonio in Pagliacci); Chicago Opera Theatre (Giacomo in Giovanna d'Arco); New Orleans Opera (Enrico Ashton in Lucia di Lammermoor and the title role in Macbeth); Chautauqua Opera (title role in Macbeth); Lyric Opera Baltimore (title role in Nabucco); Utah Opera (Baron Scarpia in Tosca); (Giorgio Germont in La traviata); Chicago Opera Theater (title role in Gianni Schicchi); Opera Las Vegas (title role in Rigoletto); Opera Saratoga (Ford in Falstaff); and Ópera de Puerto Rico (Baron Scarpia in Tosca).