The Metropolitan Opera's choir master has one of the most demanding jobs in the company. There are singers to gather, notes to correct, and centuries-old scores to ponder.
Donald Palumbo, who led the choir for 17 years and took it to new heights, announced last fall that he would step down in June. And on Wednesday the Met announced his successor. He is Tilman Michael, a German conductor who has been the choral conductor of the Frankfurt Opera for the past 10 years.
Michael, 49, who will join as choir director at the start of the 2024-25 season, said in an interview that he was eager for a “new and exciting” challenge and described the Met as “one of the most important competitions.” “The most important opera house in the world.”
“Choral singing and choral conducting are my life. “It’s something I’ve been doing since I was a kid,” he said. “I loved this piece from day one.”
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Met's music director who chose Michael, said in a statement: “He is a long-time collaborator and friend whom I deeply respect.”
“I very much welcome him to the Met family,” he said. “He has an innate understanding of the complexities of the voice and brings out the best in the choruses he works with.”
Under the baton of the 75-year-old Palumbo, the Met Choir, with its 74 regular members and 85 extras, has become an equal partner to the company's world-class orchestra.
Michael, who led the choir at the German National Theater in Mannheim and served as assistant choral conductor at the Bayreuth Festival and Hamburg State Opera, said he wanted to continue Palumbo's legacy. He said he felt a special connection with the choirs when he visited New York last February to meet them and test out their repertoire. They worked together on Offenbach's 'Hoffmann Comte', Puccini's 'La Rondine' and Kevin Poots and Greg Pearce's 'Time'.
“The Met Opera Choir is a fantastic choir,” he said. “But of course, I think we can improve every day, find new colors, find new abilities.”
Michael said he is looking forward to next season's production of Richard Strauss' fairy tale opera “Die Frau Ohne Schatten,” as well as new operas by John Adams, Jeanine Tesori and other composers.
“When the chorus works well, it’s magical,” he said. “To feel this energy in your body, ears and mind is to listen to each other and create a unique sound together.”