Bass-baritone Michael Bannett is a SAG-AFTRA session singer, classical concert soloist, professional choral singer, and teacher. Based in Los Angeles, he performs frequently with a variety of musical organizations, including The Los Angeles Master Chorale, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Choir of St. James, Musica Angelica, Pacific Opera Project, the Clarion Singers, LASchola, and the Baroque Music Festival Corona Del Mar. 

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Michael is a full-time member of the Los Angeles Master Chorale under the artistic direction of Grant Gershon, and frequently performs with the LA Philharmonic and maestro Gustavo Dudamel. Engagements this season bring him to the stages of Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl for works ranging from Handel to Schoenberg (See calendar for a full list of upcoming engagements).

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As a session singer, Michael has lent his voice to a number of major film scores, including Wreck it Ralph 2 (featured vocalist), Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Lady and the Tramp, Smallfoot, Transformers: The Last Knight, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, A Wrinkle in Time, and more. Michael’s strong sight-reading skills and stylistic versatility, along with his ability to sing both low bass lines and float high falsetto, make him a valuable addition to any recording or performance project.

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Michael’s operatic roles include Silvio in Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci (Celestial Opera Company); Kromow in Lehár 's The Merry Widow, Dancairo in Bizet’s Carmen, and Pish in Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado (Pacific Opera Project); Guglielmo in Mozart’s Così fan Tutte (Hawaii Performing Arts Festival); Sharpless in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (LA Metropolitan Opera); Betto in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and First Priest in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (USC Opera); and Camero in Conte’s America Tropical (Definians Project).

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Michael holds a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, where he studied with Rod Gilfry. A native of San Francisco, Michael began his early musical career singing with the San Francisco Boys Chorus and San Francisco Opera. More info about his childhood career and albums can be found here.