BIOGRAPHY

Following his sold-out recital debut in Carnegie’s Weill Hall, pianist Michael Fennelly toured the world with an array of dynamic programs. He released his first solo recording, The Legend of Faust, part one, on One Soul Records and is currently recording his new album Bravura with legendary producer Max Wilcox of RCA.  Debut, featuring his Carnegie Hall program, was released in September, 2008 on Athena Records.  He recently received the special distinction of being named a Bösendorfer Artist.

The Californian made his first concerto appearance at age ten, and subsequently performed with many orchestras throughout California, including the Orange County Philharmonic, Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, Santa Clara Symphony and the South Coast Symphony Orchestra. While still in high school, he was flown to New York as a last-minute replacement for a soloist with the New York Virtuosi Orchestra, and later performed Brahms’ First Piano Concerto in Germany.

"Mr. Fennelly played with flair and energy" (The New York Times) in the world premiere of Blitzstein’s Cain for the American Composers Alliance in Manhattan. He recorded Norton’s piano concertos with the Manhattan Symphony, and performed the Bach concertos with the Barge Festival. His recitals have been broadcast on WQXR (New York City), NDR Radio (Germany), and KSTA (Palo Alto). On film, he appeared as the young Harry Truman (who initially trained to become a concert pianist) for PBS’ American Experience. Michael Fennelly has been a Distinguished Guest Soloist for Olympia Cruises, a performer for the Aristotle Onassis Foundation, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Kosciuszko Foundation, and Allied Tours.  He is a member of the German ensemble Hudson Shad. 

Michael Fennelly was the United States winner of the Horowitz Competition, and a prize-winner of the Young Artist Peninsula Music Festival, the Young Keyboard Artist Association, and the Artist International Competition. He has performed in Moscow Conservatory’s International Chopin Symposium, New York’s Schoenberg Music Festival, and Italy’s Wilhelm Kempff Beethoven Seminar, and in master classes under John O’Connor, Richard Goode, and Abbey Simon.

Taught from age five by his mother, a successful piano teacher, and his stepfather, an avid amateur musician; he continued his studies with Trula Whelan and Earl Voorhies in California. He was as an undergraduate pupil of Dr. Nelita True at the Eastman School of Music, where he was awarded the prestigious Performer’s Certificate.  He continued his Masters and Doctoral studies with Byron Janis and Dr. Marc Silverman at the Manhattan School of Music, where he received the school’s special prize for chamber music and completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree with a dissertation on Metric Structure.  

Dr. Fennelly’s position with The Juilliard School has led to innumerable recitals with every instrument and voice type.  Last season he toured across the United States, and performed in Germany and Belgium.