From Opry to Opera
Baritone Michael Mayes is enjoying a busy career in contemporary and traditional opera roles in the United States and abroad. In recent years, he has become the go-to guy for the challenging role of Joseph De Rocher in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, performing the role throughout the U.S. and most recently in Madrid and London. Mayes shares how his own personal journey has drawn him to roles like De Rocher and how he sees a new genre of American opera taking shape that is impacting artists and audience members in life-changing ways.