Michael Esch - Canadian Pianist

Michael Esch
Canadian Pianist

Bio

Canadian pianist Michael Esch earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from Rice University where his teachers included Robert Roux and Jon Kimura Parker. Michael has been featured in numerous recitals in Canada; including the Glenn Gould Studio, and for the Canadian University Music Society. His performances have been broadcast on CBC Radio as well as various television programs throughout the country. Internationally, Michael has appeared in concert throughout Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the United States and Germany. He made his debut in Asia in 2005 at the Singapore Arts Festival.

Michael has appeared as a guest soloist with numerous orchestras. Highlights of these include his European debut with the Vratza Philharmonic (Bulgaria), collaborating with the Toronto Philharmonia on its recent cycle of the Beethoven piano concerti at George Weston Hall in Toronto, and with the Canadian Sinfonietta - an orchestra for whom Michael now contributes as a member of its board of directors.

As a chamber musician, Michael has collaborated with a number of acclaimed artists, including the Belgian violinist Michael Guttman and the eminent violist, Rivka Golani. For the past three years, he has served as resident pianist with the Canadian Sinfonietta Chamber Players based in Toronto.

Michael has been a grant recipient from the Chalmers Foundation, and is a multiple grant recipient from the Canada Council for the Arts. He is a former silver medalist of the Ludmilla Knezkova-Hussey International Piano Competition, and has enjoyed much success in contests at the national and international levels. As a clinician, Michael has presented master-classes for O.R.M.T.A., O.M.F.A., and several Universities in Canada and the United States. He is active throughout Canada as an examiner and adjudicator: most recently serving as piano adjudicator for the Ontario Music Festival Association's 2005 Provincial Finals Competition. Michael will judge piano and string divisions for the 2008 Canadian Music Competition National Tour.

An advocate of contemporary Canadian piano music, Michael's Doctoral thesis on Francois Morel's Deux Etudes de Sonorité is considered an important perspective on these works. In October of 2007, Michael gave the world premiere of Six Pieces, a solo piano work written for Michael by the exciting young Canadian composer, Robert Rival.

Michael's early studies were with Rosemary Collins at the University of Guelph. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree with high distinction in performance from McGill University where he worked with Dorothy Morton and Tom Plaunt. In masterclass forums, Michael has been privileged to coach with the likes of Lazar Berman, Maria Stiepanova-Gambarian, Anton Kuerti and Emanuel Ax.

As of September of 2007, Michael has served on the faculty at the Glenn Gould Professional School of the Royal Conservatory of Music where he teaches piano literature.

"Quotes..."

"Excellent in all respects…Professional and First class throughout..!"
Robert Roux - Steinway Artist, Leading American Pedagogue

"Beautiful playing mastered with excellent players...."
Jon Kimura Parker, O.C., Steinway Artist

"Guest pianist Michael Esch joined the orchestra for performances of John Weinzweig’s Divertimento No. 10 for piano and Strings, and Haydn’s Piano Concerto in D Major….the moods delivered by both orchestra and soloist were exceptionally evocative. Mr. Esch’s command of the instrument is unquestionable, the bravura passages were impressively and authoritatively delivered; a special challenge in such non-melodic material..

As a classicist, he is first rate. His tone is crisp and clean, and his technique pristine, so that even in the fastest passage every note is absolutely clear. In the slow movement, both Esch and the orchestra were able to deliver some very sensitive melodic work; another challenge, as it is easy to become indulgent when the melodic material is so simple. The rondo was alive with energy. Here Esch was able to deliver the fire of the Hungarian flavor without losing the 18th-century refinement and clarity.....
I hope he'll come back soon for a recital. With this season's premieres having been so successful, I'm definitely looking forward to a magnificent season."
from the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal

Guelph is blessed with many fine musical events..the most outstanding of these in recent times was the concert on April 4 of the Guelph Symphony Orchestra given at River Run Centre..The soloist on this occasion was Michael Esch who played the first piano concerto of Brahms, a work which demands tremendous technique as well as great musicianship. Michael had it all..."
Guelph Tribune

"..those of us fortunate enough to be present were taken far beyond the notes and left in quiet awe. This shared, human experience seldom happens, but is wonderfully addictive. Recordings can never capture or create such an experience. Esch, drawing this level of art from the pages, approached heights that many more experienced musicians never reach......Esch is well along the road to excellence; future stops are eagerly awaited."
JamesWeggReview.org

" Everything was clearly etched, the music's humour and ingenuity was apparent, and the delightful finale zipped along at a speed that requires rare dexterity - and he had it!.. it was interesting to hear this obviously very talented and already very accomplished young artist at work. We'll expect to be seeing good things about him as time goes on."
Waterloo Gazette