Family outings to the Metropolitan Opera House to hear Carmen, Madame Butterfly, the Marriage of Figaro and other major operatic works dominated his early exposure to culture. In fact, when Michael was five or six years old, he was given a set of classical opera recordings. Michael devoured the English translation of the track listings inside the booklets and would fall asleep to the soundtracks.

Some of Michael’s earliest memories are of piano lessons at the Greenwich House of Music on Barrow Street in Greenwich Village. His teacher quickly identified Michael’s propensity for the piano, including advanced comprehension, reading of music, improvisation and an intuitive sense of the score. To nurture Michael’s talent, his parents purchased a vintage three-octave upright piano from a thrift store. Michael’s mom encouraged him to practice twenty minutes a day and he began to request more and more scores. Michael would listen and read the music, then attempt to translate it to the keys as quickly as possible. Twenty minutes of practice turned into hours.

As Michael became laser-focused on classical piano, his parents were accommodating, yet perplexed, given their own musical experience — which was not classical. They obtained a multitude of piano recordings for Michael as he developed a feel for the music while playing through scores. Michael progressively expanded his repertoire.

“From a very young age, I developed a weird intuitive sense of music,” shares Michael, who enjoys operas and old films when not practicing.

When composition entered Michael’s music-centric education, he loved it. Imaginative storytelling continues to inspire him to explore ways of expressing himself through classical piano. Michael continues to deep dive into this creative aspect of self. With varying traditions and approaches to piano performance, Michael explores techniques that feel authentic to his personal style.

Michael has a strong idea of what he wants to achieve through music. He describes his vision and analytical framework as a blessing and a challenge as he continues to expand his skillset and form a deeper relationship with his own style of musical expression.

Audience members at Michael’s performances may notice that he does not usually speak from the stage. Although Michael feels comfortable speaking, he chooses not to: He does not want his personal judgment and discernment of a piece to distract from the audience members’ individual experiences of the music. Michael feels that words and definitions can sometimes hinder a deeper connection to the listening experience. He communicates best through the music, which feels more authentic for him than talking to the audience directly.

“I’m sharing what connects us all as human beings through the pieces that I perform, and I want whatever that substance is to speak for itself, and to be received by each person according to their own modes of perception.”

While Michael’s goal is to have a long career as a concert pianist, he also loves chamber music, opera and composition. Michael enjoys solo performance, but he is also at home as a chamber musician and accompanist for singers and all instruments. Michael continually works on building his repertoire and hopes that his American Piano Awards experience propels him along his path towards his dreams.