Michael McCarthy studied Music at Birmingham University and Postgraduate Theatre Studies at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff. He co-founded Cardiff New Opera Group in 1982 becoming Music Theatre Wales in 1988. From 1998-2012 he was Artistic Director of Operatoriet - the contemporary opera studio for Norway; 2007 – 2012 Dramaturg FIVE:15 for Scottish Opera; Leader of Opera Creation Academy at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in 2012.
He has directed over 50 contemporary operas, mainly for for MTW and for Scottish Opera, Opera Vest, Opera Theatre of St Louis, Opera National du Rhin and Theater Magdeburg plus large-scale outdoor stagings of Tosca and Nabucco, and productions of La Traviata, Cosi fan Tutte, Il Re Pastore, Richard Löwenherz, Fidelio and Don Giovanni. His production of Cinderella by Maxwell Davies for WNO was broadcast on S4C Television, and The Lighthouse was made into a film for BBC2 TV.
Michael was awarded Best Director at the Wales Theatre Awards for world premiere of The Trial by Philip Glass co-produced by MTW with the Royal Opera House and Theater Magdeburg. His production of Greek won Outstanding Achievement in Opera at the TMA Awards. He was awarded an MBE in 2016.