Margot & Michael

Michael Stewart has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and South America as solo pianist and collaborative pianist alike to great acclaim. Recent engagements have taken him to the Perigord region of France as pianist at L’Art du Chant Francais; the Dolomite mountains of Italy for a fully-staged production of Hansel and Gretel at Music Academy International with Maestro David Jackson; the Emiglia-Romagna region of the same country for La Lingua della Lirica; and Los Angeles as a Stern Fellow at SongFest. Mr. Stewart has also been collaborative pianist and vocal coach at Juilliard’s Pre-College Vocal Arts Camp in Orlando, Florida for the last two summers. As a former New York freelancer, Mr. Stewart stayed busy working with singers at auditions, competitions, coachings, recordings, recitals, and playing at the voice lessons of renowned teachers throughout Manhattan. He also was the rehearsal pianist for various productions at Mannes Opera and New York Opera Exchange.

His past positions include rehearsal pianist for the Utah Chamber Artists; University of Utah’s chamber choirs, musical theater program, and various conducting courses; Intermountain Children’s Strings; music director at Desert Star Cabaret Theatre for two seasons; as well as principal keyboardist of the Salt Lake Symphony. Michael has been laureate of many piano competitions including the

Aloha International Competition, New York International Competition, Coeur d'Alene Concerto Competition, PianoArts North American Competition, Snowy Range Competition, and Liszt-Garrison Competition, just to name a few. Consequently, Michael has performed as featured soloist with the Utah Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Salt Lake Symphony, Coeur d’Alene Symphony, Hawaii Youth Orchestra, SummerArts Orchestra, Riverton Metropolitan Orchestra, and the University of Utah Philharmonic.

As an alumnus of Mannes Conservatory (MMus Collaborative Piano and Piano Performance) and the University of Utah (BMus Piano Performance), Mr. Stewart is currently keyboard instructor and collaborative pianist at Manatee School for the Arts in Palmetto, Florida, and music faculty at the Sarasota Music Conservatory. In addition to his teaching duties during the day, Michael has also performed or been music staff in the area with Saint Petersburg Opera, Opera Tampa, the Florida Orchestra (TFO), the Sarasota Orchestra, Choral Artists of Sarasota, Manatee Players, Sarasota Festival of Vocal Arts, Straz Center for the Performing Arts and its adjoining Patel Conservatory, the QOL Quartet, and Siren Song.