American bass-baritone Michael Dean, Chair of Vocal Studies at UCLA, is in demand worldwide both in concert and operatic repertoire, appearing with the leading opera companies and orchestras of the U.S. and Europe. His powerful voice and commanding stage presence have garnered him wide acclaim from audiences and critics alike, in repertoire ranging from early to contemporary music.

Mr. Dean has made frequent appearances at New York City Opera, where he has performed the title role in Le nozze di Figaro, Leporello in Don Giovanni, George in Of Mice and Men, Don Alvaro in Il Viaggio a Reims, and Papageno in The Magic Flute.

Recent appearances have also included Le nozze di Figaro and La Fanciulla del West at de Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp, the title role in Don Giovanni and Silva in Ernani at the Landestheater in Linz, Austria; Of Mice and Men at Arizona Opera and Opera Grand Rapids; Frank Maurrant in Street Scene at the Pittsburgh Opera; and Colline in La Bohème at Opera du Rhin (Strasbourg), Orlando Opera, and the Komische Oper Berlin.

In addition to his work in the mainstream repertoire, Mr. Dean has also gained an international reputation as a gifted interpreter of early music. He is much sought after as bass soloist in Handel's Messiah, as well as Bach's St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, Magnificat and Mass in B minor. He has made frequent appearances at the Göttingen Handel Festival, and has received critical praise for his numerous recordings of baroque opera, including Agrippina, Ottone, Radamisto, Giustino, and Serse. His recording of Dido and Aeneas was hailed as a "one of the most beautifully sung Aeneases on disc" (London Daily Telegraph).

Equally at home in contemporary music, he recently made his debut with the New York Philharmonic in the world premiere of Aaron Kernis' Garden Of Light, conducted by Kurt Masur, and returned the following season for Weill's Street Scene, conducted by Leonard Slatkin. Mr. Dean was also featured as Jason MacFarlane in the Live from Lincoln Center broadcast of Beeson's Lizzie Borden. In addition, he is featured on the premiere recording of Francis Burt's Und Gott Der Herr Sprach, which he also performed in concert at the Musikverein in Vienna.

Other appearances have included his New York debut recital sponsored by The Marilyn Horne Foundation, with pianist/composer John Musto; Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic; Handel's Messiah in Boston; Verdi's Requiem with the Singapore Symphony; Mozart's Requiem in Vienna, The Rake's Progress in Kansas City; Beethoven's Mass in C with the Houston Symphony; and Figaro with Glimmerglass Opera.

In recent seasons, Mr. Dean's engagements include Handel's Messiah at Carnegie Hall, as well as in Boston, Houston and Kansas City; Haydn's Creation at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; Bach Magnificat with the Toronto Symphony; the St. Matthew Passion with the Phoenix Symphony; Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in Lansing, MI; an evening of Bach Cantatas at Disney Hall with Helmut Rilling conducting the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra; Handel's Alexander's Feast at the Kennedy Center, Messiah with the Pittsburgh Symphony, as well as numerous performances at the Carmel Bach Festival.

This season, Mr. Dean will appear in the Verdi Requiem in Denver; Haydn's Creation in Mexico City; Bach's Christmas Oratorio and Handel's Messiah in New Orleans; Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass in Huntsville; Handel's L'allegro,il penseroso in Montreal; Purcell's The Fairy Queen with Musica Angelica in Los Angeles; and Bach's St. Matthew Passion in Richmond.