Biography - Michael Roche

Michael Roche has always been surrounded by music. With his family being very musical, there never seemed to be someone not playing music in the house, whether it be the violin from his brother and sister, or piano from his father, or even his own trombone playing. The whole family took an interest in singing, but mostly following the choral route with no classical singing training being undertaken. That all changed when Michael went to Cardiff University, studying academic music, and switched his main focus to singing in the classical tradition.

From there, he performed Escamillo (Carmen, Cardiff University Opera Society, 2019) and studied a Graduate Diploma in Vocal Performance at the Royal College of Music under the guidance of Tim Evans-Jones. Michael has gone on to perform Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro, RCM Opera Scenes 2021), Barzilai (King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, Bath Festival of Learning).

Michael returned to the Royal College of Music in September 2022 to continue his studies as part of the Masters in Performance. In his first term, Michael performed as Mars, God of War in the RCM production of Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld. Following this, Michael performed as Guglielmo (Cosi Fan Tutte, RCM Spring Opera Scenes 2023) and as Le Podestat (Le Docteur Miracle, RCM Spring Opera Scenes 2023).

In the summer of 2023, Michael joined Longborough Opera Festival as part of their chorus for their final instalment of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, Götterdämmerung, and joined British Youth Opera as Pontius Pilate (The Pilgrim’s Progress), as well as covering 3rd Shepherd, Apollyon, Envy and Mistrust in the same production.

In 2024 Michael has kept up his studies whilst joining the chorus of the RCM Opera Studio for their production of Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow. Since, then he has joined Grange Park Opera for their summer festival as part of the chorus.

Michael still enjoys playing the trombone, and is frequently found playing alongside the Anglo-Cuban group The Swanvesta Social Club under the guise El Operatico, as well as happily joining orchestras when they called upon.