Michele Pertusi was born in Parma, where he studied piano and singing at the "A. Boito" conservatory. He then continued his studies with Arrigo Pola, Carlo Bergonzi and Rodolfo Celletti.
In February 2005, he won the Grammy Award for the best opera recording in the title role of Verdi's "Falstaff" with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Colin Davis (LSO LIVE). In 1995 he was honoured with the "Abbiati International Prize". His recording of "Il turco in Italia" conducted by Riccardo Chailly for Decca was honoured with the Gramophone Award. He was also honoured by the President of the Italian Republic with the Golden Medal as "Cultural Benemeritus". In 2018, he received the prestigious "Rodolfo Celletti" prize at the Festival della Valle d'Itria in Martina Franca.
He has worked with most of the world's leading conductors, including Riccardo Muti, Carlo Maria Giulini, Zubin Mehta, Georg Solti, Daniel Barenboim, James Levine, Kazushi Ono, Myung-Whun Chung and Antonio Pappano, and has performed at the most important opera houses and concert halls as well as at prestigious festivals around the world.
His discography includes Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle, Stabat Mater, Cantata per Pio IX and "La Cenerentola" conducted by Riccardo Chailly (Decca), "Don Giovanni" and "Così fan tutte" conducted by Georg Solti (Decca), "Le nozze di Figaro" conducted by Zubin Mehta (Sony), "Semiramide" and "Maometto II" (Ricordi), "Don Giovanni" conducted by Daniel Barenboim (Erato), "La Damnation de Faust" and "Falstaff" conducted by Colin Davis (LSO live).
Recent highlights were "Don Carlo" at La Scala in Milan under the direction of Riccardo Chailly at the opening of the season; "I Lombardi alla prima crociata" and Messa da Requiem at the Verdi Parma Festival; "I Capuleti e i Montecchi" at the Salzburg Festival; "Aida" and "Il barbiere di Siviglia" at the Arena di Verona; "I vespri siciliani" at the Teatro Regio in Turin; Verdi's Messa da Requiem at the Opéra de Lyon; "Don Pasquale" at the Vienna State Opera; "Lucia di Lammermoor" at La Scala in Milan; "Ernani" at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice; "Don Carlo" at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples; "Medea" at the Metropolitan Opera New York; "Nabucco" and "Aida" at the Arena di Verona; "Moïse et Pharaon" in Aix-en-Provence; "Turandot" at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia with Antonio Pappano; "Luisa Miller" at the Opera di Roma.