Michael Feinstein

Michael Feinstein
Name	Michael Feinstein
Birth name	Michael Marshall Feinstein
Birth date	1956-09-07
Birth place	Columbus, Ohio, United States
Occupation	Singer, pianist, music historian, arranger
Years active	1977–present
Associated acts	Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin

Michael Feinstein Michael Feinstein is an American singer, pianist, arranger, and archivist noted for his work as a preeminent interpreter and preserver of the Great American Songbook. He is recognized for collaborations with leading performers and composers, stewardship of historic collections, and educational initiatives linking Broadway, Tin Pan Alley, and American popular music traditions. Feinstein's career intersects with prominent venues, recording labels, philanthropic institutions, and media outlets.

Early life and education

Born in Columbus, Ohio to a Jewish family, Feinstein spent formative years in Akron, Ohio and later in New York City where he pursued music informally while absorbing repertory from radio and recorded collections. He studied piano and developed deep familiarity with composers associated with Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and Hollywood songwriters including Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, and Johnny Mercer. Feinstein's early mentorships and apprenticeships connected him to industry figures and institutions such as the estates of Jule Styne and collectors associated with the Library of Congress and private archives.

Career

Feinstein began his professional career in the late 1970s and became closely associated with the estate and archives of Judy Garland-era material, leading to collaborations and curatorial projects with archives tied to Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and other 20th-century vocal icons. He served as artistic director for the Great American Songbook Foundation and curated programs at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Royal Albert Hall, and The Hollywood Bowl. Feinstein hosted public radio and television programs featuring repertoire from Harold Arlen, Vincent Youmans, Irving Berlin, and George Gershwin, and worked with record labels such as Capitol Records, Concord Records, Columbia Records, Elektra Records, and Nonesuch Records. He collaborated with contemporary performers and arrangers including Judy Collins, Bette Midler, Diana Krall, Linda Ronstadt, Cheyenne Jackson, and orchestras like the London Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra.

Preservation of the Great American Songbook

Feinstein is widely known for preservation efforts centered on the Great American Songbook. He co-founded the Great American Songbook Foundation in Akron, Ohio to collect manuscripts, recordings, and memorabilia from writers such as Johnny Mercer, Sammy Cahn, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Gershwin brothers, and Harold Arlen. His work involved acquiring archival items for institutions like the Library of Congress, partnering with university collections at Yale University, Indiana University, and curating exhibitions with museums including the Smithsonian Institution and the New-York Historical Society. Feinstein has lectured at conservatories and schools such as the Juilliard School, Berklee College of Music, and Curtis Institute of Music on interpretation of repertory linked to Broadway composers and Hollywood songwriters. He championed scholarship on lyricists and composers connected to the Tin Pan Alley era, promoting educational programs and recordings to keep the repertoire in performance.

Recordings and discography

Feinstein's discography spans solo vocal-piano albums, orchestral collaborations, and thematic anthologies covering material by George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Frank Loesser, Harold Arlen, Jule Styne, and Johnny Mercer. He released albums on labels including Asylum Records, Elektra Records, Concord Records, and independent imprints, with notable projects featuring orchestral arrangements by conductors associated with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and collaborations with arrangers who worked for Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. His recordings often appeared on charts tracked by Billboard and received critical attention in outlets such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian. Compilation and live albums document performances at venues like Carnegie Hall and broadcasts for networks including PBS and NPR.

Awards and honors

Feinstein has been recognized by arts organizations, municipalities, and academic institutions for his contributions to American musical heritage. Honors include awards and fellowships from foundations connected to the arts such as the National Endowment for the Arts, recognition from city cultural commissions in New York City and Akron, Ohio, and lifetime achievement citations from societies devoted to Tin Pan Alley and Broadway history. He has received honorary degrees and institutional encouragement from conservatories including the Berklee College of Music and universities with archives such as Indiana University and has been featured in commemorative events honoring composers like George Gershwin and Irving Berlin.

Personal life

Feinstein has lived and worked in residences located in New York City and Los Angeles, maintaining collections and archives housed partly at the Great American Songbook Foundation in Akron and in partnerships with national repositories including the Library of Congress and regional historical societies. He has appeared on television programs and late-night shows tied to networks such as CBS, NBC, ABC, and public broadcasting affiliated with PBS and continues to tour concert halls, jazz clubs, and festival stages like the Newport Jazz Festival and Gershwin Prize events.

Category:American singers Category:American pianists Category:Music historians Category:People from Columbus, Ohio