“A compelling, sparkling virtuoso” (Boston Music Intelligencer), pianist Michelle Cann made her orchestral debut at age 14 and has since performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony and New Jersey Symphony.
A champion of the music of Florence Price, Ms. Cann performed the New York City premiere of the composer’s Piano Concerto in One Movement with The Dream Unfinished Orchestra in 2016 and the Philadelphia premiere with The Philadelphia Orchestra in February 2021, which The Philadelphia Inquirer called “exquisite.”
Highlights of Ms. Cann’s 2021–22 season include debut performances with the Atlanta, Detroit and St. Louis symphonies, as well as her Canadian concert debut with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. She also receives the 2022 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, the highest honor bestowed by the Sphinx Organization, and the 2022 Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award. Embracing a dual role as both performer and pedagogue, Ms. Cann’s season includes teaching residencies at the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival and the National Conference of the Music Teachers National Association.
Ms. Cann regularly appears in solo and chamber recitals throughout the U.S., China and South Korea. Notable venues include the National Centre for the Performing Arts (Beijing), the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, D.C.), Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles) and the Barbican (London). She has also appeared as cohost and collaborative pianist with NPR’s From the Top.
An award winner at top international competitions, Ms. Cann served as the Cincinnati Symphony’s MAC Music Innovator in 2019 in recognition of her role as an African-American classical musician who embodies artistry, innovation and a commitment to education and community engagement.
Ms. Cann studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Curtis Institute of Music, where she holds the inaugural Eleanor Sokoloff Chair in Piano Studies.