Obituary: Countertenor & Vocal Coach Michael Harper Passes Away at 61

Michael Harper passed away on March 10, at the age of 61.Harper was born in 1963. He went on to study at Virginia Commonwealth University before completing postgraduate and doctoral studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

He also studied opera at the Mayer-Lismann Opera Centre in London.Harper’s singing career took him across Europe, the US, and China. He premiered works at the Royal Ballet and Opera’s Linbury Theatre and Clore Studio, Megaron, Biennale Danza, the China National Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Grand Théâtre de Genève, and the Institute for Contemporary Arts.



Beyond performing, he was a passionate advocate for music education, championing opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds. He was a dedicated patron of our Diverse Voices program, working tirelessly to ensure diversity and inclusivity in opera. Harper worked as a vocal coach and workshop facilitator for organizations including the Gulbenkian Foundation, Youth Music, British Youth Opera, Den Norske Opera, Westminster Choir College, Pegasus Opera Company, English National Opera, and the National Opera Studio.

He served as a trustee for the Buxton International Festival, and was a patron of the National Opera Studio’s Diverse Voice.In 2019, Harper joined the he Royal Northern College of Music’s (RNCM) School of Vocal Studies and Opera as a Principal Study Tutor. Here, he established the Williams-Howard Prize in honor of his grandfather, Chester Ambrose Williams and teacher, Helen Palmer Howard, to promote the study and performance of art songs by African-heritage composers.

Alongside this, he helped to establish a repository of these art songs in the RNCM Library, and continually fundraised to ensure the prize would run in perpetuity.Between 2019 and 2022, Harper received funding from the AHRC to collaborate with the BBC on a project that evaluated the work of Julia Perry (1924 – 79). Two years later, Michael hosted Julia Perry Week at the RNCM, which showcased Julia’s life and music through a series of lectures, presentations, and concerts.

Michael Harper died from pulmonary complications.The post Obituary: Countertenor & Vocal Coach Michael Harper Passes Away at 61 appeared first on OperaWire..