My Bio

“Give people a reason to want to be a part of your journey".”

A Little About Me

Younger Years

Michael started playing the violin at age four in the Suzuki studio of Pat Thayer in Williamsport, PA, and furthered his studies with James Lyon of the Pennsylvania State University. A graduate of the Williamsport Area High School, Michael participated in the Williamsport String Quartet, WAHS Orchestra and Choir, the Millionaire Strolling Strings, and sat as Concertmaster of the 2019 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 8, Central Region, and All-State Orchestras. Michael has also been a member of the All-National Honors Orchestra of the National Association for Music Educators (NAfME). During the summers before leaving for college, Michael attended the Pennsylvania Suzuki Institute, Ithaca Suzuki Institute Advanced Program, Credo Chamber Music Camp, the Wintergreen Summer Music Program.

NYO-USA

In 2019, Michael was accepted to Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). As a part of being selected for NYO-USA,  Michael spent a two and a half week residency at Purchase College, in New York, studying with the top musicians in orchestral music, such as James Ross, Justin Bruns, and Alex Kerr. The orchestra was led by conductor Sir Antonio Pappano and featured soloists Isabel Leonard, Magdelena Kozena, and Joyce Didonato. At the end of the residency, Michael and the NYO-USA performed twice in the US before departing for their European tour at Carnegie Hall and Seigi Ozawa Hall at the Tanglewood Music Center. Then, they performed in some of the greatest halls in the world throughout Europe, including Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Concertgebouw, Usher Hall, the Konzerthaus Berlin, and at festivals such as the BBC Proms and Edinburgh International Music Festival. 

“Playing with the finest young musicians in our country has given me the greatest gift known to man: a taste of what is possible.”

-        Michael Fisher

Collegiate Career

Pursuing a Bachelor of Music Degree in Violin Performance, Michael was accepted at the University of Michigan, Eastman School of Music, Cleveland Institute of Music, New England Conservatory of Music, and The Juilliard School. Michael ultimately followed his heart to Boston, MA!

Michael is now a senior at the New England Conservatory of Music, studying with Professor Soovin Kim. Michael has found ample opportunities for himself at NEC, performing in masterclasses, sitting concertmaster of the Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, and studying vast amounts of chamber music. Academically, he has remained very active and served as a Teacher’s Assistant for Stratis Minikakis in the Music Literacy and Musicianship department.

Beyond NEC, Michael has taken full advantage of living in Boston - teaching, gigging, and networking all across the city. His largest commitment is his concertmaster role of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (BPYO) under the baton of Maestro Benjamin Zander. He has now lead the orchestra through three seasons of incredible repertoire and two world tours to South Africa and Europe with a third on the way to Mexico in 2024.

BPYO South Africa Tour

Most recently, Michael sat as concertmaster of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Benjamin Zander on the group’s tour to South Africa. Amidst the other works programmed for the concerts, Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life) consumed the majority of Michael’s focus. The massive tone poem features one of, if not the longest and most challenging concertmaster solo in all of classical music, very rarely performed even by the best orchestras in the world. Totaling nearly 18 minutes of solo violin in the 50 minute long work, Strauss uses the solo violin to represent the Hero’s wife. Within the development of this character, Strauss seeks to highlight the vast range and sporadic nature of Pauline’s emotions. It is these vast contrasts coupled with the extreme technical demand that gives these soli their reputation.

Performing Ein Heldenleben three times throughout South Africa, including the University of Pretoria, the Hugo Lambrechts Hall in Cape Town, and at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda, Michael also sat as associate concertmaster for performances of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony and Mahler’s 2nd Symphony (“The Resurrection Symphony”).

Read Jonathan Blumhofer’s (professional music critic with Boston Classical review) reviews on Michael’s performances and the tour here. Hear Michael’s solos from the final performance at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda here.

New York Classic Violin Competition

BPYO Europe Tour

Aspen Music Festival

Personal Life

Michael’s favorite way to spend his free time is with his closest friends and his family. Nothing is more important to him than the people he loves. The majority of Michael’s time outside of violin is spent training for marathons, lifting weights, content creating on social media, and growing his businesses attaining his real estate license and creating performance/gig opportunities for himself.

My Resume