Michael Feinstein has built a dazzling career bringing music of the Great American Songbook to the world. From recordings that have earned him five Grammy nominations to his Emmy-nominated PBS-TV specials, his acclaimed NPR series, and concerts around the globe, his work as an educator and archivist defines Feinstein as one of the most important musical forces of our time.

In 2022, Feinstein released Gershwin Country, an album of standards in duet with some of the biggest names in country music, including Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, and Brad Paisley. In 2007, he founded the Great American Songbook Foundation, dedicated to celebrating the art form and preserving it through educational programs, master classes, and the annual Songbook Academy for high school students.

Feinstein serves on the Library of Congress’ National Recording Preservation Board, an organization dedicated to ensuring the survival, conservation, and increased public availability of America’s sound recording heritage. He is also artistic director of the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana. In 2010, he became director of the Jazz and Popular Song series at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Feinstein was named principal pops conductor of the Pasadena Symphony in 2012 and made his conducting debut in 2013 to celebrated critical acclaim. Feinstein’s at the Nikko, his nightclub at San Francisco’s Nikko Hotel, has presented the top talents of pop and jazz since 2013; Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael in Carmel opened in 2021. In 2022, the Feinstein brand received a Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre.

Feinstein was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, where he started playing piano by ear at the age of five. After graduating from high school, he moved to Los Angeles, where the widow of legendary concert pianist-actor Oscar Levant introduced him to Ira Gershwin. Feinstein became Gershwin’s assistant for six years, which earned him access to numerous unpublished Gershwin songs, many of which he has since performed and recorded.

Gershwin’s influence provided a solid base upon which Feinstein evolved into a captivating performer, composer, and arranger of his own original music. He has also become an unparalleled interpreter of music legends such as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer, Duke Ellington, and Harry Warren. Through his live performances, recordings, film and television appearances, and songwriting, Feinstein is an all-star force in American music.

For more information, visit michaelfeinstein.com.