Chamber Ensembles
that have consulted with Michael
Jeff Li
(pianist)
It was fun going deep into the opening movement of the Mendelssohn Trio in d-minor Op. 49! Right off-the-bat, your feedback helped us get the right balance of flute, cello, and piano. You had us experiment with a faster tempo overall, which opened up new possibilities with phrasing and rubato, along with some sections in slower tempo. While it was physically & mentally challenging to incorporate all these changes in just one session, we left with a lot of ideas & broader areas we can continue to experiment with in future rehearsals.
I also appreciated the new interpretive ideas you shared for the piano part. Trying out new textures (e.g. dryer piano accompaniment at the beginning), colors (playing what you called 'The Van Halen Lick' more passionately), and contrasting articulations (legato vs, staccato) helped the music not only sing, but also 'speak' with an urgency and dramatic flair.
Matt Chambers
(cellist)
Michael helped prepare us for our performance of the Bach Trio Sonata in G BWV 1038. He gave us lots of great guidance around many of the unwritten rules of Baroque music and performance practice from that era, including phrasing, styling, and dynamics. Biggest take away for me was how to drive the pieces forward and provide a convincing pulse from a bass/continuo standpoint. All very helpful.
Kimmi Hoang
(pianist/flutist/composer/arranger)
I've done two separate sessions with Michael and he is a truly great ensemble coach. In the baroque music one, his understanding of dance rhythms and musical etiquette brought out the spirit of the piece. In the romantic era session, Michael was able to create imagery that was effective and memorable, and made rhythmic suggestions around tempo that weren't necessarily written in the music but made the music move more coherently. Overall, his coaching brought the ensemble playing to another level — from sound balance and rhythmic flow to the emotional character of the music — from two distinct eras.