MICHAEL BEST, tenor, grew up in North Carolina studying violin. He graduated from Duke University before studying and receiving his MS degree from the Juilliard School of Music in 1968. After graduation followed a 32 year performing career that included solo performances in France, Italy, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the United States. He sang regularly with many of the symphonies orchestras in the United States, including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, the Philadelphia and Cleveland Orchestras, and the Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, Detroit, Saint Louis, Utah, and Miami Symphonies. He made his New York City Opera debut in 1973 as Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and joined the Metropolitan Opera as a principal artist in 1978, where he sang for parts of 22 seasons.

For the last six years, Mr. Best has been a member of the voice faculty at Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.