Lecturer in Piano
Belfast-born Michael McHale has established himself as one of Ireland’s leading pianists and has developed a busy international career as a solo recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician.
He has performed and recorded with the Minnesota and Hallé Orchestras, the Moscow, Bournemouth, Jacksonville, Fort Smith, BBC, BBC Scottish and London Symphony Orchestras, City of London Sinfonia, London Mozart Players and all five of the major Irish orchestras, and performed on major international stages including the BBC Proms, Tanglewood and Tokyo Spring Festivals, Wigmore, Cadogan and Barbican Halls in London, Berlin Konzerthaus, Lincoln and Kennedy Centers, Symphony Hall, Boston and Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.
Michael’s discography of over twenty-five albums includes releases on BIS, Delos, Champs Hill, Ergodos and RTÉ lyric fm, as well as acclaimed recordings on Chandos of the Strauss Burleske and Richard Rodney Bennett's Piano Concerto. The début album of the McGill/McHale Trio ‘Portraits’ on Cedille featuring narrations by Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali was released in 2017 and immediately entered the Top 25 US Billboard Classical Chart. His regular chamber music partners include Michael Collins, Sir James Galway, Camerata Pacifica, Wigmore Soloists and The Vanbrugh.
After completing studies at Cambridge University and the Royal Academy of Music, Michael went on to win the Camerata Ireland Accenture Award, Brennan and Field Prizes at the Dublin International Piano Competition, Terence Judd/Hallé Award and a Major Individual Award from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. His teachers and mentors include John O’Conor, Réamonn Keary, Christopher Elton, Ronan O’Hora and Barry Douglas.
Michael has given masterclasses at Catholic University, Washington DC, Montclair University, NJ, Southern University, IL, Bowling Green University, OH, Trinity College, Dublin, Royal Irish Academy of Music and for other organisations including the Ulster Orchestra, Moving on Music and the Royal Tunbridge Wells International Music Festival.