Michael Csányi-Wills

Piano

Award winning composer and Pianist Michael Csányi-Wills has written a variety of chamber music, choral and orchestral works through to film scores. He was composer in residence with the Welsh Sinfonia from September 2013-2016 and his recent orchestral works have been widely performed throughout the UK.

Commissions have taken him around Europe, Australia, China, and the USA. In 2016 his violin concerto was premiered in the Constella Arts Festival by violinist Tatiana Berman with principal conductor of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Jose Luis Gomez.

Michael’s ‘Orchestral Songs’, featuring Nicky Spence, Jacques Imbrailo and Ilona Domnich, was released 2015 to critical acclaim and was ‘recording of the month’ at Music Web International.

Michael has also written scores for a range of films including documentaries such as “The King of Nerac” and “Maestro” a feature documentary feature about conductor Paavo Järvi and feature dramas such “Chasing Satellites” written by Judy Morris (Happy Feet). He won Best Score at the Movie Maverick Awards, for his score to the short film “A love story in Milk” and was nominated at the World Soundtrack awards for Best Newcomer.

As a pianist, Michael performs and records regularly, and he is currently recording the complete Weinberg Violin Sonatas with Russian Violinist Yuri Kalnits.

Michael’s first Symphony, which was commissioned by Mark Eager and Cardiff University, will have its first performance in March 2020 in St David’s Hall Cardiff.

Michael is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

Greatest Musical Inspiration

Be patient with yourself. Practice slowly, for not too long and regularly. Enjoy every note and try to make up a story for every piece you play. Music is a language like any other, but with the freedom to dream!

Best Musical Advice

My grandmother introduced me to music at the age of 3 which secured my love of music. Hilary Coates at Wells Cathedral School had the most transformative effect on me as a musician. Other important influences have been the works of Sergei Prokofiev, Leonard Bernstein and John Williams.