ABBA

Violist from the former U.S.S.R. who attended Moscow State Conservatory, from whence he graduated cum laude. A couple of his early gigs were with the Moscow Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra and the Moscow Philharmonic String Quartet.

He relocated to Israel in 1972 and joined the Jerusalem Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra as their principal viola.

Leonard Bernstein encouraged him to attend the Tanglewood Music Center and Michael auditioned and won a spot with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1973.

Other groups with whom he has worked include the Ars Poetica Chamber Orchestra, the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops, the Bristol Chamber Orchestra, the Georgian Chamber Orchestra, and the Rhode Island Philharmonic.

He has appeared on the following recordings: America; American Visions; Bach, Bach & Bach; Black Snow; The Celtic Album; Chris Botti in Boston; Holiday Pops; J.S. Bach – The Six Cello Suites; My Favorite Things: A Richard Rodgers Celebration; Singular Voices; and, A Splash of Pops.

On 26^th November 2000, he and harpsichordist Marina Minkin were the featured soloists with the Bristol Chamber Orchestra in a Fall Colors Orchestra Concert at the United Church of Christ in Canton, Massachusetts. Their program comprised George Bizet’s “Andantino”, Michael Haydn’s “Concerto for Viola & Harpsichord”, Paul Hindemith’s “Trauermusik”, and the world premiere of Jakov Jakoulov’s “Eclogue, Epitaph and Hymn”.

He participated in the International Music Festival in Borjomi, Republic of Georgia, where he was the guest soloist of the Georgian Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Liana Issakadze, in July 2003.

The American College of Greece invited him to perform and speak at their campus in Athens, Greece, where he performed the aforementioned Bach cello suites in November 2005.

John Williams dedicated his “Duo Concertante” to Michael in 2006.

In January 2007, he appeared with the New England String Ensemble in a pair of their winter concerts that included Johannes Brahms’ “Liebeslieder Waltzes”, Jean-Baptiste Lully’s “Le Triomphe de l’Amour”, Jakoulov’s “Viola Concerto No. 2”, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Eine kleine Nachtmusik”.

He and violinist Victor Romanul delivered the world premiere of Williams’ “Duo Concertante” as part of the BSO’s prelude concert at Seiji Ozawa Hall on 17^th August 2007. Included in the program were Aaron Copland’s “Elegies for Violin and Viola”, Bohuslav Martinu’s “Three Madrigals for Violin and Viola”, and Mozart’s “Duo in G, K. 423”.

On 22^nd October 2007, he and Peter Zazofsky took Williams’ “Duo Concertante” to Boston University. Its world-premiere recording was released in 2008, and featured Michael matched up again with Victor Romanul. Michael also appeared on 2008’s Hindemith: Sonatas for Accompanied and Unaccompanied Viola Opp. 11 and 25.

On 14^th November 2008, he took part in the Thompson Chamber Music Series at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts.

He and pianist Victoria Postnikova gave a wall-to-wall Brahms pre-concert recital at Symphony Hall on 25^th November 2008.

In July 2009, several members of the BSO, including Michael, clarinetist William R. Hudgins, cellist Alexandre Lecarme and pianist Orli Shaham, performed in a chamber music concert at Seiji Ozawa Hall in Lenox, Massachusetts.

Michael went solo on 8^th November 2009, dusting off the Bach cello suites for a performance at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Brookline, Massachuetts.

In January 2010, he and cellist Mickey Katz and violinist Victor Romanul appeared in a pair of recitals at Arts at the Amory and St. Paul Church that comprised Mozart’s “Trio (Divertimento) in E flat major, K. 563”, Walter Piston’s “Duo for Viola and Cello”, and Anton Webern’s “Trio for Strings, Op. 20”.

Michael was on-hand for the BSO prelude concert once again at Seiji Ozawa Hall in July 2010. This warmer-upper included Charles Martin Loeffler’s “Marchenerzalungen” and “Rhapsodies” and Mozart’s “Trio for Clarinet, Viola and Piano in E flat”.

On 4^th October 2011, he and keyboardist Alina Polyakov performed Brahms’ “Sonata No. 2 in E flat, Op. 120”, Mikhail Glinka’s “Sonata for Viola and Piano”, Robert Schumann’s “Marchebilder, Op. 113”, and Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 147”.

In the field of music education, Michael has taught at the Boston Conservatory, Boston University, the Instrument Craft Institute, the Longy School of Music, and Wellesley College.

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