Michael Beattie has received international attention for his work as a conductor, teacher and keyboardist
specializing in the music of the Baroque period.
As Associate Conductor of Emmanuel Music, he has conducted over one hundred Bach cantatas at Emmanuel Church
in Boston and made his opera debut conducting Handel's Ariodante. Other concerts conducted at
Emmanuel include Bach's St. John Passion, the complete Bach Motets and a concert of orchestral music
of Haydn and Schoenberg.
Mr. Beattie made his Glimmerglass Opera debut conducting Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in 2009 with Jonathan
Miller as stage director. In 2011 he conducts Handel's Rinaldo at Pittsburgh Opera.
A highly regarded continuo player, Mr. Beattie has performed in the US and Europe as harpsichordist,
organist, pianist and fortepianist with Emmanuel Music, Cantata Singers, Boston Baroque, Boston
Cecilia, Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Lyric Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Chicago Opera Theater,
the Mark Morris Dance Group, and the Carmel Bach Festival (where he is Music Director of the Adams Vocal
Master Class). In 2009 he joined Les Violons du Roy as organist and harpsichordist for their 25th anniversary
tour (with performances in Quebec, Montreal, Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Hall).
In demand as a vocal coach specializing in music of the Baroque and Classical periods, he has
been on the music staff of Glimmerglass Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, and the Carmel Bach Festival
and has served as musical assistant to Baroque specialists Harry Bicket, Jane Glover, Emmanuelle
Haim, Bernard Labadie and Raymond Leppard.
He is a founding member and harpsichordist of Favella Lyrica and the Baroque chamber ensemble Trés. He
was Assistant Conductor for Peter Sellars' stagings of the Mozart/da Ponte operas conducted
by Craig Smith, which were performed throughout the U.S. and Europe and recorded for television
and released on DVD.
He made his opera conducting debut in the Boston premiere of Handel's Rodelinda. Mr. Beattie is a graduate
of the Eastman School of Music and Boston University. He has been on the faculties of the Tanglewood
Music Center and the Walnut Hill School and is currently a Teaching Associate at Boston University. He has
recorded for KOCH International Classics and Nonesuch records.
Michael Beattie