Michelle Bawden is a Canadian soprano praised for her crystalline tone, fearless high range, and expressive musicality. A recent graduate of McGill University with a Master of Music in Voice and Opera under the mentorship of Aline Kutan, she previously earned her Bachelor of Music from the University of Ottawa, studying with Christiane Riel.

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Michelle has earned recognition on national stages as a finalist in McGill’s Wirth Vocal Prize, a two-time laureate of the Prix d’Europe—finalist in 2024 and semi-finalist in 2025—and a finalist and winner of the voice category in the Canadian Music Competition. Her recent operatic appearances include Die Königin der Nacht (Die Zauberflöte) as a guest artist with Université de Montréal, Die Mutter (Hänsel und Gretel) with Opera McGill, and Miss Jessel (The Turn of the Screw) with the University of Ottawa. Michelle has also been featured as a soloist in Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Händel’s Messiah, and Mozart’s Requiem with the Cantabile Chorale. She was also featured in concert during Festival Classica’s 2024 season with the Arion Baroque Orchestra performing a selection of Mozart arias, where Le Devoir praised her as a soprano who “sings the Queen of the Night as easily as you and I brush our teeth.”

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In summer 2025, she joins the prestigious Franz Schubert Institute in Baden bei Wien and makes her European role debut as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with the Vienna Opera Festival. With a growing presence across operatic and concert stages, Michelle is committed to bringing honesty, clarity, and technical brilliance to every performance.

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In her spare time, Michelle loves to read, bake, and go frisbee-golfing with her boyfriend.