Michael Hickman is a baritone based in London. He is a member of Westminster Cathedral Choir, and works extensively as a freelance soloist and ensemble singer. Michael began his musical life as a chorister at Magdalen College, Oxford, and studied at the Junior Royal Academy of Music, before going on to read Music at Durham University. Michael studies singing with Nicholas Powell, and he previously learnt with David Barrell. Michael’s musical repertoire spans from the Mediaeval period right up to the present day. He is a member of the ensemble Opus Anglicanum, and sings regularly with EXAUDI and other high profile ensembles. Michael has sung on many recordings, and for live broadcasts on BBC radio and other radio stations across Europe.

 

As an ensemble singer, Michael has performed with many of the UK’s top ensembles, including EXAUDI, Dunedin Consort, BBC Singers, Opus Anglicanum, Stile Antico, The English Concert, The Academy of Ancient Music, The Carice Singers, and abroad with Chamber Choir Ireland. Michael also has a great deal of experience singing in church choirs. He is a member of Westminster Cathedral Choir, but also sings regularly with the Temple Church Choir, and the choirs of St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. He previously held a position in the choir of St James’s, Spanish Place, and was a Lay Clerk in the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford for four years.

 

On the concert platform, Michael’s solo highlights include Handel Messiah at Halifax Minster (Halifax Choral Society) and at Southwell Minster, Fauré Requiem at Bath Abbey (Southern Sinfonia and Bath Choral Society) and at Southwark Cathedral, Bach Christmas Oratorio (Instruments of Time & Truth), Bach St John Passion (Westminster Cathedral Choir and Orchestra), Bach St Matthew Passion (Armonico Consort) at St John’s, Smith Square, Bach Wachet Auf at Chichester Cathedral, Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem at Romsey Abbey, Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle (Solihull Choral Society), Stanford Songs of the Fleet, Vaughan Williams Five Mystical Songs and Orff Carmina Burana. Further afield, Michael has also performed as a soloist for Arvo Pärt Passio at Maria Laach Abbey in Glees, Germany (Cappella Lascensis) and Mozart Coronation Mass (Australian Chamber Orchestra) at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney.

 

In contemporary music, Michael has performed and recorded music by many leading composers, singing with the ensemble EXAUDI. He gave the world premiere of Georges Aperghis Tell Tales at Donaueschingen Musiktage in October 2025 with violist Tabea Zimmermann, singing live on SWR radio, and has sung Michael Finnissy Cipriano at Snape Maltings as part of the Aldeburgh Festival, and Ruby Colley Hello Halo at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Kings Place and Snape Maltings. Michael performed Gloria Coates Rainbow across the Night Sky as part of EXAUDI’s 20th Anniversary Concert at King’s Place, and the world premiere of Catherine Lamb color residua with Explore Ensemble at the Spitalfields Festival, which was seperately recorded on Explore Ensemble’s disc parallaxis forma (Another Timbre). Michael has sung on several EXAUDI recordings of contemporary works, including Fumio Yasuda Ekecheiria (Winter & Winter) and Christopher Fox Preluding (KAIROS).

 

In recital, Michael has performed a programme themed around travel with pianist Richard Gowers at St Bride’s Fleet Street, with music by Vaughan Williams and Ireland.  He has also performed Butterworth Songs from a Shropshire Lad at the Swiss Church, Covent Garden, Arnold Bax 2 Fantasias on Polish Carols at St John’s, Smith Square, Vaughan Williams Songs of Travel at New College, Oxford, and Brahms Lieder op.105 at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney.

 

Future performances later in 2025 include a recital of English Song at the Wigmore Hall, London with pianist Iestyn Evans, and the world premiere of a major new work by Catherine Lamb with EXAUDI and Explore Ensemble at Milton Court Concert Hall.