Bio
Mikhail Hallak, is a world-famous concert pianist-producer-creator.
During his career, he has collaborated in concerts and recitals, with world top artists, among which: François Le Roux, Natalie Dessay, José Van Dam, Sheri Greenawald, Lyubov Petrova, Angela Brown, Susan Platts, Measha Brueggergosman among others.
He was also official pianist for the master classes of James Levine, Renata Scotto, Martina Arroyo, Diana Soviero, Martin Issep, Giorgio Tozzi and Rudolph Pierna, and also of Miriam Fried, Janos Starker, Franco Gulli, Yuval Yaron among others.
He was chosen by soprano Jessye Norman as the official pianist for the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative in 2004.
Mikhail Hallak became one of the world's foremost specialists in French diction with a repertoire that covers most of French opera and mélodie.
Mikhail Hallak lived in the United States for 21 years, 18 of which in New York, in which he was head of musical studies and musical advisor for the Glimmerglass festival.
He also gave numerous recitals, mastering all of the vocal works by Francis Poulenc as well as works for violin and piano, cello and piano works by Beethoven and Brahms in different cities.
Piano
Prior to his work in the lyrical world, Mikhail gave numerous recitals as a soloist with orchestra as well as chamber music. He performed on major world stages such as the Opera Bastille in Paris and the Metropolitan Opera (New York).
His first CD, dedicated to cello-piano transcriptions by Jascha Heifetz, with violinist Leor Maltinski appeared in 1998.
Mikhail Hallak studied at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels where he received the First Prize for piano and the First Prize for chamber music, before passing his higher piano diploma with distinction at the Royal Conservatory of Mons, then achieving the « Uitvoeren Musicus » with the greatest distinction at the Maastricht Conservatory.
In addition to the Fifty-One Club and Queen Elisabeth Pageant scholarships, Mikhail received the Fulbright Scholarship and the Rotary Scholarship.
He was a student of the distinguished Abdel Rahman El Bacha, Frederik Meinders, Michel Block and Emil Naoumoff.
Mikhail Hallak made his New York debut at Merkin Hall in March 2003 as part of the New York Chamber Festival and at Carnegie Hall in 2007, with Tamara Mumford, Leah Wool and the Quatuor Alliance. He subsequently performed 22 times at Carnegie Hall.
Opera
At Indiana University (Bloomington) Mikhail Hallak became an opera accompanist and coach from 1996 to 1998 in more than 12 productions, among which the third production of “Ghost of Versailles” by John Corigliano.
After having been an accompanying professor at Depauw University (Greencastle-Indiana), Mikhail joined the “Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist” program in 2001.
Mikhail was also a professor at Juilliard and Yale University,
He worked as a pianist/coach in more than 40 opera productions, mainly at the Paris Opera, Seattle Opera, Palm Beach Opera and the Spoleto Festival in the United States. Unidos, at the Santa Fé Opera, at the Glimmerglass Opera, at the Tel Aviv Institute of Vocal Arts, in Puerto Rico at the Ashlawn-Higland Music Festival and at Juilliard.
In New York City he created “Studio 113 productions”, a recording studio specialized in capturing Opera voices.
Mikhail is co-founder with François Le Roux of the “Theatre of songs” series in Washington at the Maison Française (French House) and produced a web series titled “Notes from the bench” that advises young singers.
Mikhail Hallak appeared on numerous television shows in the United States, England, Mexico, France and Belgium as well as the Eurovision Song Contest. He participated twice in “Breakfast with the arts” on A&E, for his work with the MET cantates as well as in the film “Une rencontre avec Natalie Dessay” (An encounter with Natalie Dessay ).
EVENTS / ROCK FESTIVALS / LARGE-SCALE CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERTS
The world of entertainment and rock welcomed Hallak with open arms for his perfectionism and his understanding of the aspects and needs of the world of stage and production (in all disciplines).
From the technical/artistic production of large European rock festivals, rap, techno festivals, open-air operas to the sound conception of large outdoors classical concerts, to the management/development of entertainment companies, Hallak erased the boundaries between music. classic and popular thanks to a curious and multidisciplinary spirit as well as a deep understanding of the audience and performer needs for a complete experience.
He is currently making his home in beautiful Mexico-City