Michael Lieberman, Violist, pursues a busy and varied career as a chamber musician, orchestral player and teacher. He performed as the on-stage Violist for the world premier and national tour of Philip Glass's opera, "In the Penal Colony". He was the Music Director and Violist for, "Tempo of Recollection" a theatrical staging of Czech composer and holocaust victim Erwin Schulhoff's works set in a 1920's Prague beer-hall .Since 2011, Michael has been part of the creation of two productions by Cirque du Soleil. As assistant Music Director of “IRIS” in Los Angeles (2011-13) and Bandleader of “ECHO” on tour through North America (2020-2024), Michael performed over 1000 shows to more than a million live spectators.  In addition to National television appearances on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the International New Year's Eve broadcast on CNN, Michael is the featured solo violist on the soundtrack recordings and created multiple arrangements used in both productions. From 2013-15, Michael performed as an original member of Wet the Hippo, a collection of LA’s most twisted and uncontrollable performers in sublimely irreverent and beautifully chaotic live performance. Michael composed for and performed with “The Simple Simples” which performed throughout Los Angeles and Chicago. He was also the Music Director, Composer and Violist for “The Captain and the Squid” which had a sold-out run in Los Angeles. From 2016-2018 Michael toured the country performing with the Chicago-based chamber music group, Fifth-House Ensemble. Michael has performed with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Milwaukee Symphony, Joffrey Ballet, Los Angeles Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet and has played principal Viola with the Santa Barbara Symphony, Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra and Opera Santa Barbara among many others. For 10 years he was Violist in the Saint Helen's String Quartet with performances throughout the Pacific Northwest, and a residency at Cornish College of the Arts. The Quartet’s debut recording was released in the fall of 2015. Michael has taught at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle and Westmont College in Santa Barbara. Michael studied at the Peabody Conservatory and currently lives on Chicago’s North Shore. For more information, visit www.mdlieberman.com

304 words - August, 2025