Michael Ballam

Michael Ballam (born 1955) is the Founding General Director of the Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre,(since 1993) a professor of music at Utah State University,(since 1987) an accomplished operatic singer, pianist and oboist. He has served on the faculties of Indiana University, The Music Academy of the West, University of Utah, Brigham Young University and guest lecturer at Stanford, Yale, Catholic University and Manhattan School of Music.

His professional operatic and recital career has spanned over five decades and every continent. Ballam, a native of Logan, Utah, has performed in the major concert halls in America, Europe, Asia and the Soviet Union, with command performances at the Vatican and the White House. His operatic repertoire includes more than 1,000 performances of over 110 major roles. He has shared the stage with the world's greatest singers, including Joan Sutherland, Kiri Te Kanawa , Birgit Nilsson, Beverly Sills, Montserrat Caballé, Roberta Peters, Jerome Hines, Leonie Rysanek, Leontyne Price, Fedora Barbieri, Marilyn Horne, Carlo Bergonzi, Alfredo Kraus, Luciano Pavarotti, Juan Pons, Simon Estes, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Plácido Domingo, and Ethel Merman performing regularly on the stages of the Chicago Lyric, San Francisco, Metropolitan, Santa Fe, Houston Grand, Dallas, St. Louis, Washington National and San Diego Operas. Recitalist at the Kennedy Center, Los Angeles Music Center, Carnegie Hall, Towne Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Royal Albert Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall (Boston), Jones Hall (Houston), Notre Dame (Paris) and Salt Lake Tabernacle. At the age of 24 he became the youngest recipient of a Doctor of Music with Distinction in the history of Indiana University. He is well known for his strong support of musical arts in Utah, serving on the Board of Directors of 12 Professional Arts Organizations. Ballam has produced, directed or starred in 350 productions.