 Described as “flashy” and “exciting” (The American Organist), Michael Hey has been increasingly visible on concert stages in the U.S. and Asia. In 2010, he made his New York City debut in Alice Tully Hall, and has since performed solo recitals at Kimmel Center (Philadelphia), The Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.), and the Esplanade (Singapore). He graduated from the Juilliard School with bachelor and master of music degrees in organ performance, under Paul Jacobs, and was Assistant Director of Music and Organist of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York from 2015-2023. In September 2017, Michael received first prize in the inaugural Shanghai Conservatory of Music International Organ Competition. He also performs recitals with his wife, celebrated New York violinist Christiana Liberis. Michael is now Director of Music at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City. |
UPCOMING EVENTS
Thursday, August 7, 2025
7:00pm (Organ Recital) Organ Historical Society National Convention St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church Milwaukee, WI https://organhistoricalsociety.org/events/ohs-2025-national-convention/ |
From the Critics
“Excerpts from [Lou] Harrison’s ‘Concerto for Organ with Percussion Orchestra’ closed the evening in another brilliant episode. Michael Hey was the organ soloist, playing with measured grace in the slow movement and tremendous verve and precision in the Allegro finale.”
(Georgia Rowe, Mercury News, San Francisco, CA, December 2016)
“[Michael Hey blew] the dust and cobwebs out of the under-utilised pipes of the great Esplanade Klais organ. And he did it with relish, spicing things up with a wonderfully easy stage manner. He also tried to lighten Bach’s somewhat heavyweight G Minor Fantasia and Fugue with imaginative registration and flutterings of the swell pedal. This could have sent purists into paroxysms of rage, but it did much to captivate the Singapore audience. Best of all, he gave a glittering performance of Bach’s Wachet auf. It was crisp, clean, and enticingly communicative. A scintillating account of Scherzo Symphonique by the French composer Pierre Cochereau afforded Hey the opportunity to display not only his tremendous virtuosity, but also his fluent command of the instrument, as stops were pulled out and pushed in in a kaleidoscopic demonstration of the organ’s colours and qualities.”
(Marc Rochester, The Straits Times, Singapore, April 2016)
“. . .vividly played.”
(The New York Times, February 2014)
“Mr. Hey performed admirably, playing without a score in front of him and making the music seem improvisatory in the way that Handel might have played it.”
(Seen and Heard International, November 2010)
From the Presenters
“I want you to know how wonderfully Michael Hey played on our series, Sunday, April 8. He was a joy to host – such a NICE GUY, and he was a real audience pleaser – performances that were note-perfect, exciting and full of musical nuance!”
(James Buonemani, St. James Episcopal Church, Los Angeles, April 2018)
“Michael’s organ concert last Sunday, the 16th, was the very best! Everyone attending went away with a smile on his/her face. He played magnificently on a “gem of an organ”, ours! The repertoire he chose was perfect for our organ, and he was in awe of the instrument when he first played it. It really is something very special. People that I’ve seen since Sunday have been telling me how much they enjoyed Michael’s concert and also Michael, himself. He was most charming – ingratiating himself with everyone.”
(Jean Turner, The Brick Church Music Series, First Church of Deerfield, MA, 2016)
“…the Michael Hey “Home Coming Concert” last Friday at Carroll College was a great success. Michael played so well and used the Schantz organ in such a creative and colorful way. He knew his audience well and the spoken descriptions of the music and the personal anecdotes he provided helped to make even the most dense and complex music (like the Reger Chorale Fantasy) accessible and enjoyable for everyone present. Michael’s sensitive ear and creativity as a colorist certainly came through in his own transcriptions of the Smetana and Debussy pieces.
(Thomas Koester, Carroll College, Waukesha, WI, 2016)