Michael Banwarth

Ryan Opera Center Ensemble

Previously at Lyric: Music Staff for Champion (2023/24).

The second-year Ryan Opera Center pianist recently completed a Master of Music in collaborative piano at the New England Conservatory of Music. A recipient of the Dean's Scholarship and Gunther Schuller medal at NEC, Banwarth served as teaching assistant for the Song Lab program, performed frequently in the Liederabend and Sonata Night concert series, and prepared productions of The Turn of the Screw and L'enfant et les sortilèges. In summer 2022, he was invited to be a vocal piano fellow at Music Academy of the West. He has also held fellowships at the Bay View Music Festival and the Atlantic Music Festival, and served as assistant music director and harpsichordist for the Iowa State Opera Studio during his undergraduate studies. In Lyric's 2024/25 Season, Banwarth will serve on the music staff for Blue.

Michael Banwarth is sponsored by Nancy Dehmlow, Lori Julian for the Julian Family Foundation, Philip G. Lumpkin, and Rich Ryan.