Michael Sylvester

Michael Sylvester is an Associate Professor of Voice at Wichita State University's College of Fine Arts, School of Music. He has held faculty roles at DePaul University, Indiana University, and the University of Indianapolis. A renowned lyric spinto tenor, he performed leading roles in major opera houses worldwide, including the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, and La Scala, with over 150 performances of Radames in AIDA. His teaching career includes residencies at competitions like the Concurso San Miguel and co-founding the San Miguel Institute of Bel Canto.

Education: BM from Westminster Choir College and MM from Indiana University. Research interests focus on vocal techniques, opera performance, and music education, particularly through his book English Diction and Enunciation for North American Singers and an ongoing audio project on 20th-century classical singers.

Notable recognition includes being named one of the two most important tenors of his generation by USA Today (1989). His teaching legacy emphasizes passing down methods from his mentor Margaret Harshaw, a disciple of Manuel Garcia's tradition. He also engages in recitals, concerts (e.g., Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde), and pedagogical lectures.