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Biography

Praised by The New York Times for his “forbidding, resonant bass-baritone”, Michael Scarcelle has proven his versatility in concert, recital, opera and theatre. His recent performances include Candide (Herrman Augustus) with London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Theatre, La donna del lago (Duglas) and Rusalka (Vodník) with ResonanceWorks, Candide (Pangloss) with Opera in the Heights, The Marriage of Figaro (Figaro) with Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, The Magic Flute (Papageno) and The Pirates of Penzance (The Pirate King) with Anchorage Opera, Hydrogen Jukebox with Skylight Music Theatre, and the internationally acclaimed film of Gianni Schicchi (Marco) with Opera Ithaca. Other opera highlights include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Demetrius) with Opera Naples, Amahl and the Night Visitors (Melchior), Nino Rota's The Italian Straw Hat (Beaupertuis), and La Périchole (Don Pedro) with Amarillo Opera, La Cenerentola (Alidoro) and Rigoletto (Ceprano) with Salt Marsh Opera, and the role of Death in Holst’s Savitri with Little Opera Theater of New York.

In 2015 Dr. Scarcelle made his Carnegie Hall debut as Masolino in American Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Schillings’ Mona Lisa, then performed there again with New York City Chamber Orchestra as soloist for both Duruflé Requiem and Fauré Requiem. Other notable concert engagements include Avery Fisher Hall performances as bass soloist for Händel's Messiah and Verdi's Requiem, Schütz's Fili mi Absalon with St. Luke's Trombone Quartet, Händel's Messiah with Norddeutsche Philharmonie, bass soloist for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Temple University Orchestra at the Kimmel Center, as well as a return to Carnegie Hall for the concert of Distant Worlds Philharmonic Orchestra showcasing the music from Final Fantasy.​ 

Dr. Scarcelle made his European debut singing Crespel in Les Contes d'Hoffmann and Marchese in La Traviata with Festival Lyrique International de Belle-Île-en-Mer and returned to the French festival as Schaunard in La bohème.  Other notable performances abroad include Orfeo (Plutone) in Chiari, Italy, and Carmen (Escamillo), Le nozze di Figaro (Figaro), and Dominick in the world premiere of Georg Kreisler's Das Aquarium with Volkstheater Rostock. He made his debut with Munich Philharmonic performing Herrmann Augustus in Candide, a role he reprised with Leipzig MDR Symphony Orchestra, Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen at Bremen's Glockenspiel, and Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich at Vienna Konzerthaus. His concert of Broadway music with the Macedonia Philharmonic Orchestra earned him a Cultural Diplomacy award from the United States Embassy.

Other performance highlights include L'amico Fritz (Hanezò) with Sarasota Opera, The Pirates of Penzance (Police Sergeant) with Colorado Symphony, and Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Schlémil), The Student Prince (Lucas), and Le Jongleur de Notre Dame (Sculpteur) with Central City Opera. For his performance as Elviro in Boston Baroque’s production of Serse, Opera News wrote "bass Michael Scarcelle possessed an appealing, charismatic stage presence and a spot-on sense of comic timing reminiscent of a young Cary Grant" and Boston Globe noted his "fluidly sung comic relief." His bass aria in Bach’s Magnificat (internationally televised from the National Cathedral) was praised by The Washington Post as "fresh" and "animated". 

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Dr. Scarcelle has appeared in concert internationally including several recitals at the historic Academy of Music in his hometown. Among his professional theatre credits are roles in My Fair Lady, Naughty Marietta, Hello Dolly, Annie Get Your Gun, The Desert Song, and The Sound of Music. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Temple University, Master of Music degree from Yale University, a Bachelor of Music degree from Hunter College, and a Certificate of Performance in Musical Theatre from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, focusing on acting and dancing. He has been a voice instructor at Yale University, Temple University, and University of Alaska, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, American Guild of Musical Artists, and National Association of Teachers of Singing. He enjoys teaching singers of all genres and styles, having a particular enthusiasm for sharing his extensive knowledge of musical theatre. When not performing or teaching, he enjoys time with his husband, acclaimed opera director Ben Robinson, and their dog, Debbie.