Pianist and Collaborator Michael Lewis has been praised for his strong command of the instrument and his flexibility of style. He is sought after as a vocal coach and collaborator in recital, orchestral, chamber, and operatic performances. Michael has collaborated with artists at Opera Philadelphia, Cincinnati Opera, Portland Opera, Arizona Opera, Aspen Summer Music Festival, Tri-Cities Opera, International Vocal Arts Institute, Mill City Summer Opera, Arizona State University, Ithaca College, and CoOPERAtive.
In 2019, Michael formed Aural Compass Projects, a non-profit organization dedicated to performing new and less-performed works. They strive to foster and develop a solid moral compass which guides their work in advancing towards equality and better representation in the arts. ACP believes that following a strong code of ethics while cultivating a space for new music and music that has not had the opportunity of being fully appreciated is their duty as artistic ambassadors and is incredibly important for the collective growth of our community and world. Michael is a graduate of the Marion Roose Pullin Studio at Arizona Opera in Phoenix, Arizona. There he served as the principal pianist on operas, vocal coach for principal and studio artists, and orchestral pianist for select performances. During the summers of 2017 and 2018, Michael could be seen at the Glimmerglass Festival where he was a pianist and coach in the Young Artist Program working on the US premiere of Donizetti’s L’assedio di Calais, Porgy and Bess, Silent Night, and West Side Story.
Before working in Arizona, Michael was the Assistant Music Director and Chorus Master at Tri-Cities Opera of Binghamton, NY where he served as principal coach, chorus master, and head pianist for Carmen, Don Giovanni, Die Fledermaus, Rigoletto, L'italiana in Algeri, Faust and music
director for La voix humaine and Speed Dating Tonight. While holding this position, he also was on staff at Binghamton University as Adjunct Lecturer.
A native of Pennsylvania, Michael studied at Ithaca College, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance. Michael assisted in the creation of the first student-run opera at the college, Ithaca College Light Opera, in their first production, Transformations by Conrad Susa. The following year he assumed position of music director for their production of Riders by the Sea by Ralph Vaughan Williams. He went on to receive his Master of Music degree in collaborative piano at Arizona State University under the guidance of Russell Ryan. At ASU, he was the winner of the Concerto Competition with Robert Muczynski's Piano Concerto. He also served as principal pianist for several productions for the Lyric Opera Theater.
