Critics have hailed Michael Schneider as "a pianist with exceptional insight" and a "performer with great panache" in performances across the states and overseas to Poland and France. Championing the music of Franz Liszt, Michael was awarded the ‘Demonic Liszt' Prize at the Competition Internationale held in Sante Fe, New Mexico and then won an unprecedented six prizes at the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition. In 2005, he was the 4th prize winner in the 3rd International Franz Liszt Competition held in Wroçlaw, Poland. In May 2008, Michael performed Liszt's Dante Sonata in the Library of Congress (Washington DC) for the American Liszt Society Annual Festival, and in 2009 gave a solo recital in the Liszt Museum in Budapest.
Mr. Schneider has performed in such venues as the legendary château of George Sand in Nohant, France, performing an all-Chopin recital as a guest artist in the International Chopin Festival, and Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall as a prizewinner of the Frinna Awerbuch International Piano Competition, also winning the prize for the best performance of a work by an American composer. He was a featured guest artist at the Music Festival of the Hamptons, directed by Lukas Foss. On February 5, 2011, with one day's notice, Mr. Schneider gave a full length solo recital in place of the cancelled San Angelo Symphony Concert due to inclement weather.
In recent years, Michael has performed the Beethoven Triple Concerto with the Irving New Philharmonic Orchestra, the Poulenc Concerto for Two Pianos with the UT University Orchestra, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F with the San Angelo and Plano Symphonies, and the Brahms D minor Concerto with the Lewisville Lake Symphony. Other concerto appearances have been with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra (IL), the Richardson Symphony Orchestra (TX), the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra (OK), the Harding University Orchestra (AK), and the Big Spring Symphony (TX).
Mr. Schneider is a laureate of many international piano competitions, including the 10th Pacific Piano Competition in Vancouver, the 7th San Antonio International Piano Competition, the 4th International Paderewski Piano Competition in Poland, the Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition in New York, the Texas Steinway Society Career Development Award, and the Grace Welsh Prize for Piano in Chicago.
Mr. Schneider has increasingly been in demand throughout the US as a collaborator. He has performed recitals with violinists Frank Almond - concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony, and Jun Iwasaki - concertmaster of the Oregon Symphony. He has been a repeat artist with Melange Musical, a chamber series in the Dallas/Ft Worth metro-plex, most recently performing Haydn's Gypsy Piano Trio and the Dvorak Piano Quintet. In July 2010, with only a few days notice, he performed with several of the biggest stars in the trombone world, including full recitals with Jan Gajda - winner of the 2010 Markneukirchen International Trombone Competition, Jorgen van Rijen - international recording artist, Ian Bousfield - principal trombonist of the Vienna Philharmonic, and Jacques Mauger - trombonist of the Paris Opera and teacher at the Paris Conservatoire.
Mr. Schneider is the creator and artistic director of the San Angelo Piano Festival (SAPF), a classical music festival in West Texas with an emphasis on the piano repertoire. Annual events include guest artist recitals, impromptu musicales, a composition contest, and a young artist program that includes a competition, master classes and a showcase recital.
He holds degrees from the University of North Texas, where he studied with Dr. Pamela Mia Paul, and the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with Mr. Paul Schenly. Mr. Schneider spent two years as adjunct Professor of Piano at Youngstown State University in Ohio, and in the fall of 2010, guest taught in place of artist-in-residence Dr. Michelle Schumann at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. He will graduate from the Doctorate of Musical Arts program in May 2011 at the University of Texas at Austin where he has studied with Professor Anton Nel. 2011 performances include a solo recital in Belgium, guest artist solo recital and master class teacher at the Music Teachers Association of California Annual Convention, and a performance of the Liszt 1st Concerto with the San Angelo Symphony.
For a list of upcoming performances, please visit: http://www.pianomike.com.
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