Michael Feinstein

“Michael Feinstein is as good a concert performer as anyone who has gone before him, worked alongside him, or will come after him, and that includes Frank Sinatra…”
—Broadway World

 

Michael Feinstein’s career as a performer, educator, and archivist over the last three decades has brought the music of the Great American Songbook to the world and made him one of today’s most influential musical forces. He has appeared onstage at haloed venues worldwide, including The White House, Buckingham Palace, Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, and Sydney Opera House.

Mr. Feinstein began playing piano at the age of 5 and moved to Los Angeles after high school, where he soon became Ira Gershwin’s assistant. This allowed him access to numerous unpublished Gershwin works, some of which he would later perform or record. He founded the Great American Songbook Foundation in 2007, which celebrates and preserves the art form through educational programs, masterclasses, and the annual High School Songbook Academy, which has developed many acclaimed musicians. He also serves on the Library of Congress’s National Recording Preservation Board, which helps ensure the survival, conservation, and public availability of America’s sound recording heritage.

A prolific recording artist, Mr. Feinstein’s Grammy-nominated albums include The Sinatra Project (2009), Michael Feinstein with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (2003), and Romance on Film, Romance on Broadway (2000). He has recorded with luminaries such as Broadway legend Barbara Cook, Dr. Maya Angelou, and André Previn. His broadcast and publishing resume includes an Emmy-nominated television special, a nationally syndicated public radio program, and a book about the Gershwin Brothers’ lives and music, which made the Los Angeles Times bestseller list.