Michael Schade

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Michael Schade (born January 23, 1965) is a Canadian operatic tenor, who was born in Geneva and raised in Germany and Canada. Mr. Schade and his children, daughter Sophie and twins Lisbet and Nikolaus, and in 2006 baby Eva live in Oakville, Ontario near Toronto.

Schade is considered to be one of the leading Mozart tenors on the stage today. He regularly performs at the Canadian Opera Company, Vienna Staatsoper, Salzburg Festival, Metropolitan Opera, Washington Opera, Opéra National de Paris, San Francisco Opera, Hamburg State Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Los Angeles Opera. At the Vienna Staatsoper, Mr. Schade has appeared in Daphne, Don Giovanni, Cosi Fan Tutte, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Die Zauberflöte, Arabella, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, L'elisir d'amore, Die schweigsame Frau and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. He belongs to the regular guests of the world-famous lied-festival Schubertiade Schwarzenberg in Vorarlberg, Austria.

In March 2007, Schade was awarded the Austrian title of Kammersänger, along with fellow singer Adrianne Pieczonka. The two were the first Canadians ever bestowed with the honour.

Mr. Schade has an extensive discography, including a recording of "Die Schöne Müllerin" with Malcolm Martineau (CBC Records) which funds and supports leukaemia research, and Daphne (Decca). His first solo recording -- Of Ladies and Love - Songs of Beethoven, Schubert, Liszt, Ravel, Fauré, and Richard Strauss -- was recorded for Hyperion and received enthusiastic accolades:

"He sings Strauss's 'Cäcilie', and a wonderfully hushed 'Zueignung' as though he and Martineau were the first to discover their ecstasy," said BBC Music Magazine in a 5 star review.

Schade's recording of the St. Matthew Passion (Teldec), conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance.