Michael Lieberman, Violist, pursues a busy and varied career as a chamber musician, orchestral player and teacher. During the 2000/01 season, he performed for the World Premier production of Philip Glass's opera, "In the Penal Colony" written for a single string quintet that was on stage and in costume during the entire performance. With over a hundred performances in New York, Chicago and Seattle, the production was reviewed to critical acclaim. In 2007 Michael was the Violist and Music Director for “Tempo of Recollection”, an innovative collaboration of Chamber Music, Dance, Drama, Projected Images and Sound set in a 1920s Prague dance-hall bringing to life the music of Czech composer and holocaust victim, Erwin Schulhoff. Since 2011, Michael has been part of the creation of 2 shows 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 was been composing, arranging, writing and performing as an original member of Wet the Hippo. Wet The Hippo, nominated for Best Comedy in the 2013 Hollywood Fringe Festival, is a collection of LA’s most twisted and uncontrollable performers in sublimely irreverent and beautifully chaotic live performance. Throughout 2016, 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, Chicago Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet  and Oregon Symphony 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 in every major venue, on television and radio throughout the Pacific Northwest including a residency at Cornish College of the Arts. The Saint Helen’s String Quartet released its debut recording in the Fall of 2015. He 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

440 words - August, 2025