Michael is an Australian cellist, conductor, and educator. His prolific career as a cellist has seen him play in a variety of different musical settings. He was principal cellist of Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and has been guest principal cellist with Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (NZ), and Orchestra Victoria.
Michael was a founding member of the acclaimed Hamer Quartet who won First Prize, Grand Prize, and Audience Prize at the 2009 Asia-Pacific Chamber Competition. As a soloist and chamber musician, Michael has given performances at festivals and concert halls around the world. He has studied chamber music with Gerhard Schulz, Paul Katz, András Kellar, Heime Müller, Barbara Westphal, Hatto Beyerle, William Hennessy and the Artemis, Tokyo and Jerusalem Quartets amongst many others.
One of Michael’s first loves is chamber music, and he’s had the privilege of working with organisations such as the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Flinders Quartet, and now joins the Australian String Quartet.
Michael studied conducting with John Hopkins at the University of Melbourne, and later with Maestro Christopher Seamen as a participant in the Symphony Services International Conductor Development Program. During this program, he had the opportunity to work as conductor with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Auckland Philharmonia. He has since been a regular guest conductor of the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and has also conducted the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
Michael plays a c.1743 Guadagnini Violoncello, Piacenza ‘Ngeringa’