Michael conducting training began at Otago University with an Honours degree in conducting. He has taken part in several Masterclasses with such conductors as Heinz Wahlberg, James Judd, and Miguel Harth-Bedoya and has lessons with Jac van Steen in The Netherlands. He has also attended the Dartington International Summer School in England.

He has conducted many of the established orchestras and choirs throughout New Zealand and is equally at home in the orchestral, choral and operatic repertoire. He has worked with the Christchurch Symphony, the Southern Sinfonia, St Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra, Opera Otago, the City of Dunedin Choir and the National Youth Orchestra.

From 2003 until 2006 Michael was on the permanent staff of Canterbury Opera as Music and Development Officer, Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor. In 2003 he conducted performances of Canterbury Opera’s productions of Lakme and La Traviata. In 2004 he conducted the New Zealand premiere season of Count Ory, and early in 2005 he conducted the “work in progress” performance of Jonathan Besser’s new opera, commissioned by Canterbury Opera. He arranged Dvorak’s Rusalka for a run of sold-out performances by Canterbury Opera Youth in April 2006.

In August 2006 he conducted an enthusiastically received and successful production of Die Fledermaus for Opera Hawke’s Bay. In 2009 he conducted concerts with renowned flute soloist, Alexa Still and the Hawke’s Bay Orchestra, and piano soloist Catherine McKay and the Wellington Chamber Orchestra.

2010 is a busy year for him. He will be working with the St Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra in Auckland, the Kapiti Concert Orchestra, the Wellington Chamber Orchestra, as well as returning to work with the Hawke’s Bay Orchestra.