Shawn McDonald (sgmtenor.com)

Shawn McDonald, artistic director, brings diverse talents and experience to Arbor Opera Theater. This will mark Mr. McDonald's debut as a stage director for an AOT mainstage production, though he has directed chamber works in previous seasons, including the well-received Dido and Aeneas.  As a singer Mr. McDonald has portrayed numerous roles including Rodolfo in La Bohème, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Alfredo in La Traviata, Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Sivgila and Nerone in L’incoronazione di Poppea. He sang “Paul Claudel” in The Promise for the National Opera Association’s national convention, and has been a soloist in the Verdi Marathon in Manhattan, NY. He has also participated in performance art, most notably a production of John Cage’s Europera 5, directed by Jack Behrens. He has performed in concert with the Alma Symphony, the Clarion Symphony, the Ypsilanti Symphony, Friends of the Opera of Michigan, the Verdi Opera Theater, and the Tuesday Musicale of Detroit.

Mr. McDonald trained as a tenor with his mentor, Caroline Rogers of Marygrove College.  He then continued his studies on a full scholarship at the University of Michigan, working under George Shirley and Shirley Verrett, as well as Martin Katz and Joshua Major.  He earned a Bachelor of Music from Eastern Michigan University, studying organ with Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra and Mary Ida Yost and voice with Glenda Kirkland. Additional training included summer apprentice programs at Opera North (NH) and the Brevard Music Center, as well as the Elizabeth Mannion’s Institute of Vocal Arts and private studies with James Berg.  He continued his keyboard studies in Germany at the renowned North German Organ Academy with Dr. Harold Vogel and was the winner of the Ann Arbor chapter of the American Guild of Organists competition in 1997.

He was Director of Vocal Activities at Marygrove College, where he established a unique collaboration with AOT that allows the college to produce full, professional quality productions that utilize both students and professional artists. In May of 2008 the organizations joined to produce a "Motown" staging of The Magic Flute that was enthusiastically received. He also helped to produce, design, and musically direct productions of The Marriage of Figaro, and Amahl and the Night Visitors. He was musical director for numerous revues and a production of Ain’t Misbehavin’ for the Marygrove Music Department. During his time at Marygrove he was also hired by the University of Detroit Theatre Department to serve as musical director and composer for its summer program in Greece. He spent two summers there, composing original music for Antigone and serving as musical director for Lysistrata and The Long Way Home: A Musical Odyssey.

As a collaborative pianist, Mr. McDonald has also worked with such organizations as Michigan Opera Theatre’s community programs, The Tuesday Musicale of Detroit, Young Peoples Theater of Ann Arbor, Friends of the Opera of Michigan and the Verdi Opera Theater. He is Minister of Music for Westminster Presbyterian Church in Ann Arbor, directing numerous choirs and ensembles, as well as serving as pianist/organist since 1995. He also currently works as staff pianist/choir director and composer/arranger in residence at Temple Israel, West Bloomfield. Temple Israel is currently the largest reform congregation in the United States, and their numerous musical programs and services have grown and flourished with his assistance and musical direction.