Michael was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1983. His interest in music began at the age of seven when he started learning the piano, soon followed by cello lessons at the City of Belfast School of Music. A varied education took Michael from Belfast to Dublin, Cambridge and ultimately London where he is now based.
His performing career encompasses solo recital, concerto and chamber music appearances and he enjoys playing both core and contemporary repertoire. See the professional biographies below for more detailed information (English and French).
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***Biography for professional purposes***
Belfast-born pianist Michael McHale has established himself as one of the leading Irish pianists of his generation.
Since completing his studies at Cambridge University and the Royal Academy of Music he has developed a busy international career as a solo recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician. He has given notable solo performances at the Tanglewood and Ushuaia Festivals, Berlin Konzerthaus and Pesti Vigadó, Budapest, and broadcasts for TV and radio stations throughout Europe, Asia, North and South America.
Michael has performed frequently as concerto soloist with the Hallé, Bournemouth Symphony and Moscow Symphony orchestras, the London Mozart Players and all five of the major Irish orchestras in repertoire ranging from Mozart and Beethoven to Gershwin and Rachmaninov. A recent début with the Irish Chamber Orchestra saw Michael deputise for the indisposed Leon Fleisher in a performance of Prokofiev’s Left Hand Concerto with Gérard Korsten, which was broadcast worldwide on a live online video stream. Upcoming engagements include a North American concerto début with the Minnesota Orchestra.
His début solo recitals in the Wigmore Hall, London, the National Concert Hall, Dublin, and the Phillips Collection, Washington DC received great public and critical acclaim, with the Washington Post praising his “…bravura playing in the music of Franz Liszt…” and his “…beautifully proportioned and energetic account of Mozart’s Sonata in C minor, K.457…”
In addition to winning first prize and the audience prize at the prestigious Terence Judd/Hallé Award finals in 2009 (previous winners include Nikolai Lugansky and Stephen Hough), Michael was awarded the Brennan and Field Prizes at the 2006 AXA Dublin International Piano Competition and the 2005 Camerata Ireland/Accenture Award. His teachers and mentors include John O’Conor, Réamonn Keary, Christopher Elton, Ronan O’Hora and Barry Douglas.
Michael collaborates regularly with Sir James Galway, Michael Collins, Patricia Rozario, Ensemble Avalon and the Cappa Ensemble, and his discography includes recordings for Chandos, RTÉ lyric fm, Louth CMS and Lorelt. His début solo album will be released in autumn 2012. For more information visit www.michaelmchale.com
Michael is grateful to Camerata Ireland / Accenture, Culture Ireland, Music Network, EMI Music Sound Foundation, the Musicians Benevolent Fund and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland for supporting his performing career.
***En français***
Le pianiste irlandais Michael McHale a étudié à l’université de Cambridge et à la « Royal Academy of Music » de Londres. Ses professeurs et mentors sont entre autres John O’Conor, Christopher Elton, Barry Douglas et Ronan O’Hora.
Il a gagné deux prix spéciaux au « AXA Dublin International Piano Competition 2006 » et le premier prix et le prix du public lors de la finale du « Terence Judd/Hallé Award 2009 », un concours très prestigieux au Royame-Uni (Stephen Hough et Nikolai Lugansky ont reçu ce prix auparavant).
Michael a joué au festival « Tanglewood » aux Etats-Unis, au Konzerthaus à Berlin (sur les ondes de la Deutschlandradio Kultur), au Pesti Vigadó à Budapest et au Wigmore Hall à Londres.
Ses apparitions avec orchestre incluent quatre concerti de Mozart avec le « Hallé Orchestra » (notamment le concerto pour deux pianos avec Barry Douglas sur les ondes de BBC Radio 3), Beethoven et Schumann avec l’ « Ulster Orchestra », Franck et Rachmaninov avec le « RTE National Symphony Orchestra » à Dublin, Gershwin avec le « Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra » et Rachmaninov avec le « Moscow Symphony Orchestra ».
Il se produit régulièrement avec le flûtiste Sir James Galway (cette année aux Etats-Unis, en Asie et en Suisse), la soprano indienne Patricia Rozario et le clarinettiste anglais Michael Collins (cette année Chandos sort leur premier enregistrement ensemble des sonates de Poulenc, Saint-Saëns etc.).
Visitez www.michaelmchale.com pour découvrir plus des renseignements.
“…Comment est-ce possible que le pianiste irlandais de 25 ans Michael McHale puisse jouer avec l’aisance et l’inspiration de, par exemple, Lang Lang, mais qu'on ne le connaisse pas? …Michael McHale reste la découverte de la soirée…”
Christiane Peitz, Der Tagesspiegel
“…La bravoure dont Michael McHale a fait preuve lors de son récital et en particulier dans la musique de Franz Liszt a provoqué une ovation prolongée … Il a contrôlé les thèmes puissants et les points culminants étourdissants avec délectation et habileté…”
Daniel Ginsberg, Washington Post