Tenor Joseph Michael Brent, a native New Yorker, began his operatic career as a doctoral student at the University of Georgia, Athens. Since graduating in the fall of 2014, Dr. Brent’s lyric tenor voice has continued to gain recognition around the United States and abroad. Most recently, he became the inaugural tenor resident artist of the Michigan Opera Theatre Studio, under the artistic direction of internationally acclaimed tenor Richard Leech and opera impresario Dr. David Dichiera. He completed two seasons as resident artist, ending his tenure at the Michigan Opera Theatre in the spring of 2017. As a member of the Michigan Opera Theatre Studio Dr. Brent’s roles included Theodore “Laurie” Lawrence (Little Women), Martin (The Tender Land), the Kronprinz (Silent Night), Malcolm (Macbeth), Trin (La Fanciulla del West), Remendado (Carmen). Before joining the studio he had sung many of the most significant tenor roles in the repertoire including: E.T.A. Hoffmann (Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Martina Arroyo Foundation Prelude to Performance); Edgardo di Ravenswood (Lucia di Lammermoor, New York Opera Exchange); Rodolfo (La Bohème, La Musica Lirica); B.F. Pinkerton (Madame Butterfly, Quisisana Resort); Albert Herring (Albert Herring, The Bronx Opera); Don Jose (Carmen, New York Opera Exchange); Prince Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore), at the University of Georgia.​ Dr. Brent made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2013 singing Wagner, and Nereo in Boito’s Mefistofele with the Master Voices (formerly the Collegiate Chorale) and the American Symphony Orchestra. He has performed other such notable venues as The White House, David Geffen Hall (formerly Avery Fisher Hall), Sala Pedrotti at the Rossini Conservatory, Teatro Titano (San Marino), Sant'Agnese in Piazza Navona, Stefaniensaal in Graz, the New York State Theatre, and Symphony Space New York. In addition to his accomplished operatic career, Dr. Brent is also a sought-after concert soloist and recitalist. He most recently performed Ralph Vaughan William’s song cycle for tenor and piano quintet On Wenlock Edge, at Detroit’s Scarab Club. He has premiered works by ​composers Michael Fiacc, Gilda Lyons, and Mitchell Bach. Other performances of note include tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9 (Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium), Mozart's Requiem (Orchestral Nepal)​, Handel’s Messiah (Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity), Saint-Saens’ Christmas Oratorio and Gounod's Messe sollennelle (Rockland County Choral Society, NY), Schubert's Mass in B-flat, D. 234 (with members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at the Assumption Grotto Church, Detroit), and the United States of American national anthem for the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Notable conductors with whom he has collaborated include Karen Kamensek, Imre Pallo, Robert Lyall, Stephen Lord, Joseph Rescigno, David Abel, Valerio Galli, and Jame Meena. He has worked with Kathryn Wright, Kathleen Kelly, Martin Katz, Elaine Rinaldi, Timothy Cheek, and Joan Krueger. ​He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Georgia in the fall of 2014 with a dissertation on selected vocal works of Giovanni Paolo Bottesini. Dr. Brent is a proud graduate of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, and holds an undergraduate degree from the conservatory of music at Purchase College S.U.N.Y., where he studied double bass with principal bassist of the New York Philharmonic, Timothy Cobb. He was a student of Metropolitan Opera Baritone Frederick Burchinal, and is currently a student of Ron Raines.