Composer Michael Dellaira has been known during much of his career for opera and other musical theater works. Most of Dellaira's early musical experiences came as a singer and drummer in local rock bands. He played guitar and sang in local folk coffee houses, performing in this genre during a semester abroad in Cologne, Germany. He was once heard by composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, who suggested that he reverse the stringing on his guitar. Dellaira recalled that as his first exposure to contemporary music thinking. After high modernist training, Dellaira wrote music of various kinds. Since 2000, Dellaira has been known mostly for opera, other kinds of musical theater, and vocal music. More recent works include The Leopard, which was recorded in 2024 by conductor Gerard Schwarz and the Frost Symphony Orchestra.
