Michael Donovan studied piano and saxophone as a child in Montreal, then studied Voice Performance at the McGill University. After his homeland studies he left to Europe. He completed his graduate studies in Germany. He worked as an apprentice at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, then undertook an opera job at the Bern State Opera in Switzerland. 

Since his return to Canada Michael has been active as an opera, oratorio and new music soloist, composer and voice teacher. He has been on the Vocal Faculty of the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts in Toronto. He has taught Masterclasses at York University and the Glenn Gould Professional School, at Brandon University in Manitoba, Concordia University in Montreal, and Chadron State College Nebraska, USA.

While Michael enjoys a lot of different styles of music, he is a new music specialist immersed in the work of living composers. He currently teaches voice at York University and is Arcadia’s Vocal Consultant. In the past year Michael has developed the curriculum of the new Arcadia Integrated Vocal Program starting in September 2008. He regularly trains and monitors Arcadia teachers to facilitate the transition to the new program.