Michael McHale

MA (Cantab), PGDip (RAM), ARAM

Leading Irish pianist Michael McHale enjoys a busy international career as a recitalist, concerto soloist, educator and chamber musician, performing at the BBC Proms, Tanglewood and Tokyo Spring Festivals, London’s Barbican and Southbank Centres, Berlin Konzerthaus, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Lincoln and Kennedy Centers, and regular appearances at London’s Wigmore Hall as a founding member of the Wigmore Soloists.

Since his début with the Hallé Orchestra and Barry Douglas performing two Mozart concertos live on BBC Radio 3 whilst still a student, Michael has performed and recorded as a soloist with the Moscow, Bournemouth, BBC and London Symphony Orchestras, the Minnesota Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, London Mozart Players and all five of the major Irish orchestras in a repertoire of over forty concertos.

Michael’s commitment to teaching and inspiring younger pianists has seen his students win many national and international competitions, and since 2024 he has been a mentor for the LSO Conservatoire Scholarships, helping young pianists build their careers as well as programming the annual Scholar’s Showcase at LSO St Luke’s.

His début solo recording The Irish Piano was chosen as ‘CD of the Week’ by critic Norman Lebrecht and the début album of the McGill/McHale Trio Portraits featuring narrations by Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali immediately entered the Top 25 US Billboard Classical Chart. Recent releases include an acclaimed Chandos recording of Richard Rodney Bennett’s Piano Concerto with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and conductor John Wilson.

Michael has given first performances and recordings of music by composers including John Tavener, Arvo Pärt, Tyshawn Sorey and Valerie Coleman, and concerto premières by Irish composers Garrett Sholdice and Philip Hammond. His chamber music collaborators include sopranos Dame Felicity Lott, Patricia Rozario, Carolyn Sampson, the Talich, Vogler, Navarra Quartets, flautists Sir James Galway, Adam Walker, Stefán Höskuldsson, violinists Isabelle van Keulen, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Paul Huang, and clarinettists Michael Collins, Anthony McGill and Julian Bliss.

Find out more about Michael on this website Visit website

Faculties / departments: Keyboard