In addition to directing the Collegium Ensemble at SFCM, Michael is a Visiting Professor and Assistant Director of Choral Activities at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Mary’s and a Master’s in Conducting from UC Santa Cruz. As a singer, he has performed across the country and around the world at venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York City and the World Choir Games in Riga, Latvia. He has also held the positions of music director, accompanist, and cantor at various churches around the San Francisco Bay Area and central Florida. Michael loves opera and musical theater, and recently served as Music Director for the world premiere of the new musical "The Artificial Woman," was conductor of the UCSC Opera Program’s production of "My Head is Full of Colors,” and was assistant conductor for productions of W.A. Mozart’s "Die Zauberflöte" (The Magic Flute) and Menotti’s "Amahl and the Night Visitors." A pianist from the age of 5, Michael has a passion for the piano music of Rachmaninoff and Chopin, and enjoys teaching instrumentalists how to use their voice!