Biography

Michelle Humphreys is principal percussionist with Opera Lafayette and the Washington Bach Consort.  Other current performing affiliations include National Cathedral Baroque Orchestra, Handel Choir of Baltimore, Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Chesapeake Orchestra at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and the Washington Bach Sinfonia. She has performed on several recent Naxos recordings with Opera Lafayette, including the modern-day premiere of Rebel’s Zelindor, Roi de Sylphes. She is also active in the popular music world as a performer and studio-recording artist. Ms. Humphreys teaches percussion at Morgan State University, Shepherd University, University of Maryland Baltimore County and Towson University.

As a Visiting Artist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s Arts Excel! program, Ms. Humphreys created many original arts-integrated educational programs for school children, which use the language of music and percussion to support curriculum studies such as math and literature. In her role as an Artist Trainer for the BSO, Ms. Humphreys coached other performers on the development of similar presentations for the Arts Excel! program.

From 2002 to 2011, she served as President of the Maryland/Delaware Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society, directing the annual PAS Day of Percussion, an event which features distinguished clinicians and performers from around the world and attracts over 250 professional and amateur percussionists each year.

Ms. Humphreys earned a Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Maryland College Park.