Michelle Papenfuss

Pianist / Coach

About the artist: 

First-year HGO Studio artist Michelle Papenfuss, originally from Fairfax, Virginia, is currently
finishing her second season as a Cafritz Young Artist at the Washington National Opera (WNO) and will be a Young Artist at the 2022 Glimmerglass Festival. During her time at WNO, Papenfuss has served as assistant conductor for Così fan tutte and played for several new operas commissioned by the American Opera Initiative, including the workshop for Jeanine Testori’s Grounded. At Glimmerglass, Papenfuss will
serve as a coach for Carmen, Taking Up Serpents, and Holy Ground. In 2020, Papenfuss graduated from
the University of Michigan with a master’s degree in collaborative piano, where she studied with Martin
Katz. She also holds a bachelor’s degree (2016) and master’s degree (2018) in piano performance
from Brigham Young University, where she studied with Jeffrey Shumway and Scott Holden.