Background
Mike began his musical education as a piano student at the age of six. His early development was heavily influenced as a member of the San Francisco Boys Chorus, an experience that provided invaluable exposure to high-level performance. While in the chorus, he performed in the SF Opera’s production of Carmen and Boris Godunov and a performance for the Queen of England during her visit to San Francisco. He went on 3 international concert tours as a boy soprano with the chorus to Australia, New Zealand; Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Scandanavia.
After finishing high school, Mike studied solfège privately with James Wimer. This intensive training focused on developing a thorough mastery of sight-singing and ear-training, allowing him to translate complex elements of musical notation into accurate sound.
Mike age 11
Bizet’s Opera Carmen
“Obviously, the broader his experience of music in many fields, the more the teacher will have to bring to every piano lesson.”
Angela Diller, author, The Splendor of Music
Mike’s performing experience included work as an accompanist for the First Presbyterian Church of San Mateo as well as a bay area children’s chorus.
In addition to his musical studies, he was a member of the SF Symphony Chorus for two years. During this time, they performed works directed by conductors such as Herbert Bloomstedt, Valery Gergiev, Michael Tilson Thomas. This provided a great opportunity to see how some of the great conductors prepare a work for performance at such a high level.
During his late teens, Mike developed a keen interest in the process of recording the piano. This proved instrumental in refining his musicality, enabling him to experiment with phrasings and hear subtleties in his own playing previously unheard.
This technical curiosity prompted him to teach himself audio production, leading to a professional career as a freelance dialog editor and mixing engineer for Downpat Music.
Mike has recorded for the Piano For Film library and his recordings have been heard in commercials, tv shows and movies around the world.
