Mikhail Timoshenko is known for the beauty of his timbre and his outstanding musicality.
Born in Russia, he began his musical and theatrical training in Mednogorsk at the singing class of Tatiana Mayorova and then honed his craft at the University of Musik Franz Liszt Weimar and the University of Music Hans Eisler Berlin under the tutelege of Dr. Prof. Michail Lanskoi.
From 2015 to 2017, he was a member of the Academy of the Opéra National de Paris and starred in the behind-the-scenes look at the Paris Opera Documentary film by Jean-Stéphane Bron ”L’Opéra”. He sang in the world premiere of Joanna Lee’s Vol Retour and performed the role of Pluton (Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo). He has sung Spencer Coyle (Owen Wingrave), Hymas and Tirtée (Les Fêtes d’Hébé) in Paris and in London, Erster Handwerksbursch (Wozzeck), Silvano (Un Ballo in Maschera), Mitioukha (Boris Godunov) on the main stage of Bastille Opera.
In 2016, he won the First Prize at the International Singing Competition Bordeaux Médoc, the Cercle Carpeaux Lyric Prize, the AROP Prize (Opéra national de Paris), the Siemens Opera Contest First Prize. In 2017, he won the International Maria Callas Grand Prix in Greece.
In 2018, in Duo with the pianist Elitsa Desseva, he was awarded the First Prize at the International Chamber Music Competition “Franz Schubert and Modern Music” in Graz, the First Prize at the Hugo Wolf Academy International Art Song Competition in Stuttgart, the Second Prize and Public Prize at the International Schubert Lied-Duo Competition in Dortmund and in 2019 the Third Prize and the Yamaha Audience Prize at the “International Chamber Music Competition” in Lyon and First Prize at the “Wigmore Hall/Independant Opera Song Competition” in London.
Operatic highlights of his firsts professional seasons include the world premiere of the chamber opera En Silence (by Alexandre Desplat) in Luxembourg and Paris- Bouffes du Nord, Orlik in Tchaikovsky’s Mazeppa at the Ópera de Oviedo (Spain), Masetto in Don Giovanni at Paris Opéra Garnier and Opernhaus Düsseldorf, Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Opéra national de Lorraine in Nancy, “Magic Mozart” in Luxembourg, Ottokar (Der Freischütz) at the Konzerthaus Berlin, Mozart’s Requiem in Antwerp (cond. Philippe Herreweghe), Fauré’s Requiem in Baden Baden (cond. Teodor Currentzis), Masetto (Don Giovanni) in Paris, Erster Handwerksbursch (Wozzeck) in Paris, Albert (Werther) in Lausanne, Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor at the Salzbourg Festival and in Anvers with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin.
Recently he interpreted Albert (Werther) in Tours, Marcello (La Bohème) in Toulouse, Papageno (Die Zauberflöte) in Montpellier, Franck Martin’s Golgotha in Linz, Leporello (Don Giovanni) at the Glyndebourne Festival.
His projects for the 2023/24 season and the following ones :, Prosdocimo (Il Turco in Italia) in Lausanne, Chtchelkalov (Boris Godounov) in Toulouse and in Paris/Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Le Tribut de Zamora (Ch. Gounod) in St. Etienne, Marcello at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and in the Festival de Sanxay, Papageno at Paris-Bastille Bastille as well as recitals with Elitsa Desseva in Linz and the Wigmore Hall…
Philanthropy is a topic close to Mikhail’s heart. Since 2009 he gives charity concerts for children with mental disorders in Russia and takes part in several fundraising events organized by the “Yehudi Menuhin Live Musik Now e.V.” in Germany. In a cooperation with the autonomous non-profit organization ”Touch” in Orenburg he supports several boarding-schools for mentally handicapped children.